Within You
by Little Saiyajin
Summary: The story of how Vegeta and Bulma get together has been told many, many times by fan fiction writers, and now it is my turn! I hope you enjoy my interpretation of the famous three years.
1. Shapes of Every Size

The sun filtered in through a gap in the thick heavy curtains that hung in front of Bulma's window. The thin sliver of light snaked its way across the plush midnight blue carpet and glimmered over the blue haired girl's face. Frowning and scrunching her face up against the offending light, Bulma rolled over and pulled the warm quilt over her head and sighed in contentment.  
Her peace was disturbed once more as a light, yet insistent knocking began at her door.

"Bulma? Bulma, dear! Are you awake, sweetheart?"

With a groan, Bulma peeked out from under her warm haven and glared at the door, wondering how her mother could be so bright and bubbly in the morning.

"Yeah... I'm awake Mama..."

The door opened and Mrs Briefs smiling face peeked into the room before giggling girlishly and coming in with a cup of tea.

"Don't look at me like that, dear! You were the one who asked me to wake you up bright and early so that you could start your training!"

She perched on the edge of the bed and handed her daughter the cup of tea.

"So, what kind of training will you be doing, dear? Aerobics? Yoga? Pilates? I have just started a Yoga class myself, it does wonders for my flexibility!"

Bulma grimaced and delicately sipped at her tea trying to drown out her Mother's bubbly chatter, but Bunni Briefs would not be ignored. One perfectly manicured finger nail poked Bulma insistently in the ribs.

"Well, come on, Bulma! Which class will you be attending?"

Running her free hand through her teal hair, Bulma shot her mother a look of annoyance before sighing and finally answering.

"It's not that kind of training, Mama. I will be doing the same type of training as Goku, and Yamcha. Those men think they're so good just because they're all tough and strong. Running off on big adventures and leaving me behind! Well, not anymore! I'm going to train hard, and learn to control my Ki! Just you watch! I'll be flying and fighting in no time!"

Mrs Briefs affectionately stroked Bulma's hair and chuckled.

"Now, why ever would you want to do all that, dear? You have lots of big strong men around to do all the fighting and adventuring for you! What about all your experiments and inventions you were working on?"

Bulma dragged herself out of bed with a yawn and stretched. She rolled her eyes at her Mother's comment. She was so old fashioned at times.

"That's all well and good, but I want in on the adventures too! And as for my inventions... well, they can wait a bit longer. They're just in the planning stages anyway."

Mrs Brief's shrugged and patted her platinum blonde hair before standing and straightening out her skirt.

"Well, whatever makes you happy dear! I'll go and finish making your breakfast. "

Bulma smiled gratefully at her Mother as the blonde woman left her room. She could hear her singing all the way down the corridor and then downstairs, so with a shake of her head, she stripped off her pyjamas and jumped in the shower.

Mrs Briefs was beginning to think that her daughter had been spirited away or something as she looked at the clock and realised it had been over an hour and Bulma still hadn't come downstairs. But before she could call the search parties, Bulma came breezing into the kitchen wearing a brand new powder blue tracksuit with her name written in pink glitter on the back. Her hair was tied up in a sensible bun, and even though she wasn't wearing as much makeup as usual, it was impeccably done and she thought that the new eye shadow she had bought just for this occasion, bought out her eyes beautifully.

"Oooh! You look lovely, dear! Now come and sit down! All warriors need a big breakfast before they go out to train!"

Grinning happily, Bulma sat down to a feast fit for a Saiyan. Soon Mr Briefs joined them and father and daughter discussed their latest experiments and compared notes, whilst Mrs Briefs smiled and nodded whilst sipping her tea.  
Once breakfast was over, Bulma was a whirlwind of activity, rushing about the large house, packing all sorts into her pink suitcase.

"Whatever are you doing, Bulma dear? I thought you were going to be training?"

Mrs Briefs looked on in confusion as her daughter pack battery operated hair straighteners and curing irons.

"Well, when I first met Goku, he had been living in the forest and Piccolo trains in the Wastelands as did Gohan when he was a kid. That's the secret! I have been doing yoga and aerobics for years, and yet I am nowhere near as powerful as them, so it must be something about living off the land and sleeping out under the stars!"

Mr Briefs raised a puzzled eyebrow at his daughter and cast a worried look over at his wife.

"Are... are you sure this is a good idea, Bulma? I mean, can't you just ask Roshi to train you?"

Bulma snorted in disgust as she shoved a pair of high heels and a large makeup bag into the suitcase before trying to close it.

"That Roshi is an old pervert! There is no way I am training with him!"

With a growl of frustration, Bulma sat on the lid of the suitcase to force it shut, then let out a cry of triumph when the latch clicked into place.

"Well... if you're sure dear..."

Mr Briefs still looked worried, but Mrs Briefs handed Bulma a pink pastic box with a smile.

"Well, you have fun dear! I made you some sandwiches! Can we expect you home for dinner?"

Gasping, Bulma shook her head as she dragged the heavy suitcase towards to the door.

"No... Mama.... I am.... going to.....train....to....be stronger....this may....take some time...!"

Once outside, she took a tiny capsule from her pocket and threw it on the ground. With a large pop and a burst of smoke, a small red sporty hover car burst from the capsule. Once she had heaved the heavy bag into the back seat, Bulma waved goodbye to her parents and prepared to leave.

Double checking her reflection in the car's rear view mirror, she gave herself a dazzling smile and hopped into the car. With one last cheery wave to her parents, she shot down the road, her music player blasting out the latest chart tunes.

"This is it... My big adventure! I wonder if I'll be able to fly by tomorrow! Maybe I'll meet some wise old kung fu master who will teach me all about how to live off the land and control my Ki! Ha! I'll show them! I'll show them all! I'm not just a pretty face, or someone to come to when they want to use the GR! I will be a great warrior just like Goku!"

Her thoughts of grandeur kept her company all the way out into the Wastelands. The sun beat down mercilessly and there wasn't even a whisper of a breeze. Hot and disgruntled, Bulma reached down and switched on the air conditioning, sighing with relief.

"I shall be a far better warrior than any of those pig headed men, because I came prepared!"

Parking the hover car near a pathetic dribble that could have once been called a stream, Bulma got out and surveyed the land around her. As the name suggests, the Wastelands were barren and desolate. One or two trees littered the dead landscape, but these were mainly overshadowed by large craggy rocks and mountains.

"Well... it's not exactly scenic and picturesque, but it will have to do!"

Taking another capsule from her pocket, she tossed it over to where two trees stood in the shade, and a small house burst out from the smoke. Crossing her arms over her chest she stood proudly looking smugly at her new home for the duration of her training.

"Why sleep in the dirt like an animal when you can have both the wilds, and luxury! Bulma, you're a genius!"

Grabbing her heavy suitcase from the back seat of the hover car, she let herself into her temporary home and began to unpack.

Several hours later, Bulma came out of the house wearing a sunny yellow bikini and carrying a fold out deck chair under one arm, and carrying a beach bag in the other.

"Might as well enjoy this sun while it lasts! It's still only early afternoon, so I have plenty of time to get some training in today!"

She unfolded the chair so it was next to the tiny stream and stretched herself out, wiggling her toes in delight. Pulling a radio and a bottle of sun-cream out of the back, she switched the radio on as loud as it would go and began to liberally apply the sun-tan lotion.

"It's not the beach, but it will do just fine whilst I'm here!"

Putting on her sun-glasses, she reached into her bag and brought out a book, and with a contented sigh, slid further down on the deck chair and began to read.  
Bulma was beginning to drift off to sleep, when a repetitive thudding noise began to shake the ground. Opening her eyes and looking around fearfully, Bulma leapt from her chair and turned around just in time to see a hungry T-Rex lumbering towards her. Her eyes widened as her scream tore from her throat, the sound echoing through the Wastelands.  
The dinosaur took a step back, wincing at the shrill sound, but then lunged forward, roaring loudly, drool dripping from its huge sharp teeth.

"Oh no... this can't be happening, this can't be happening!"

Scrambling quickly away, Bulma ran towards her little capsule house, the dinosaur in hot pursuit. She was almost sobbing by the time she had gotten to the door, opening it as quickly as possible and falling in through the doorway. She was just in time to slam the door shut when the T-Rex threw its body against the outer wall.  
Shaking with fear, Bulma locked the door, but she doubted it would hold the beast for long. In a blind panic she began rummaging through everything in the house trying to find something she could use as a weapon. But as the dinosaur tore through the front wall of the house, she just grabbed the two things closest to her and ran out the back door.  
Bulma screamed and tried not to look behind her as the sound of her small house being smashed to bits sounded awfully close, and leapt head first into her hover car. Thanking the Gods who were listening when the car started first time around, she sped off in no particular direction, just wanting to get away.  
The dinosaur gave chase for a few miles, but then simply got bored and wandered off. Heaving a great sigh of relief, Bulma stopped the car and looked at the two 'weapons' which she had thrown on the passenger seat. The battery operated hair straighteners and a steak knife.

"It's a good job I got away really. I'd best go back and see if I can salvage anything."


	2. Move Behind My Eyes

The room illuminated with each flicker and flash from the small television set, momentarily accentuating the empty walls and lonely crevices with soft blue light. A single figure sat alone in the uninviting living area, uncomfortably positioned in a reclining chair before the glowing tube and looking as stiff as a corpse. His uninspired eyes barely reflected the images that passed the screen, his ears filled with the electronic hum provided by the otherwise muted television. The silhouette of the man's head and his unbelievably spiked hair proved to be livelier than the actual man, dancing back and forth across the plain white wall while he remained unmoving.

How long had this man been like this? Was this some meditative measure or more akin to bordering a comatose state? Slowly, sprawled fingertips crawled to life, curling to the fabric bound armrests of the recliner while hand muscles flexed. Within his head, his mind wandered through the doorways of contemplation, weighing the dull monotony of his settling life against that of his former glory. Could someone of his past be completely happy with normalcy?

These simple thoughts sparked emotions hidden inside of him. He could feel the extra, untimely beating of his heart and rushing flood of blood welling up his veins as the images of battles past were envisioned. The emotionless mask of his face steadily began to weaken and was finally overcome by a barely noticeable smirk, yet it conquered none the less. He inhaled a sharp, excited breath and leaned forward, enlightened by the feeling that the smothering veil had finally loosened its hold on him.

This man could never truly give up his alien ways. He could never betray what was in his heritage. No matter how hard he could try, he would never be able to forget who he was.

He is and always will be Vegeta, Prince of Saiyans. He knows nothing but strength and honour, virtues that are often accompanied by pain and violence. Something sadistic in him didn't mind but he kept it buried underneath his new heroic guise.

Arising like a champion who had just succeeded in his most brilliant victory, Vegeta arose from the recliner and immediately dispatched the soul devouring television with his bare fist. The near ancient electronics' thick screen yielded to his dominant force, exploding into shards and pieces until his hand met no further resistance. He looked over length of his arm and watched how weakly it bulged as he flexed his muscles, showing his displeasure with a familiar scowl.

"I've been out of my mind for too long. I have a lot of missing training to account for. It would be best not to waste any more time."

The reborn Saiyan grumbled, removing his unblemished hand from the destroyed screen. He overlooked the battle scars of his past momentarily, delving into them for further inspiration before abruptly turning and exiting the room.

Moments later, he returned wearing his old, dark blue fighting attire. The gold plating on his white boots was dull, hardly reflecting anything from its unpolished surface. He was moderately happy by the fact that his matching white gloves still fit perfectly, sliding into them with ease and clenching his fists to feel the familiar fabric. Vegeta stretched a few times in his gear to be reacquainted with its burden and manoeuvrability before completely exiting the claustrophobic confines of his home.

For a long time, he flew aimlessly through the lightly clouded sky. It was a reward of its own, being able to soar with the winds again. As much as he would have enjoyed continuing to explore the skies, he had much to do and never enough time.

Although some would prefer to have a partner to train with, they mostly proved to be more of a hindrance to his progress than a benefit. Before he realized it, he was touching down on the very outskirts of the desolate Wastelands. The harsh, barren environment would be great for his training and he surely wouldn't be bothered this far away from civilization.

The afternoon sun beat relentlessly in the fair sky, admonishing all underneath its glory with scorching heat that must have broken the one-hundred degree area. Sweat poured religiously from each and every pore on Vegeta's body as he continued his training, leaping to enormous boulders that doubled his size and wrapping his strong arms around them. With only a few steps of preparation, he hurled boulder after boulder high into the bright blue, ultimately bringing them down with bursts of destructive Ki.

The expanse between his leaps grew apart with each persistent jump, bounding across the tops of dusty plateaus in an effort to regain mastery over his agility. An invigorating roar burst loudly from the depths of his chest as he took an incredible bound toward the face of an enormous rock. He drew his tightly clenched fist back and his entire body flared up with reserves of energy, his entire figure consumed in a brightly glowing aura of power. Vegeta met the wall with impressive speed, launching his Ki ignited punch directly against the obstruction blocking his way.

His tightened hand landed with a resounding clap as the dispersion of energy shattered the sound barrier, blasting small chunks of loose stone and clouds of dust in all directions. At first glance, it appeared that the structure took on absolutely no damage from his strong attack. A small crack appeared against the rift of his knuckles, steadily expanding as it spidered out along the face of the mountainous plateau. The destruction gained speed and now the plateau crumbled in large boulders and landslides, resulting in the half demolition of the once prominent Wasteland landscape.

Vegeta drew his fist back to his chest, rubbing his sore and quickly swelling knuckles over with his other hand. Despite his accomplishment, the arrogant Prince had a look of dissatisfaction run across his face.

"The whole damn thing should have fell,"

He grumbled lowly to himself and then sighed in heavy exhaustion. That last stunt had severely drained his energy and left him with no other option; he had to call his training to a close for the day.

...................................

The wastelands lived up to its name very well. Hardly anything existed here worth mentioning. Rocks, rocks and more rocks littered in each direction. A red haired warrior sat there beside one of the only bodies of water in the area. His training had been going quite well so far.

He took a few moments to rest and regain his strength, washing his face clean of sweat and dirt before lifting himself to his feet. He felt a source of power moving, steadily away from him and he turned to look in its direction. It had been there for some time, but it was growing. The ground rumbled and shook as the power had released what he deciphered as larger attack. His knees bent ever so slightly before he leapt up onto one of the larger pillars of rock there. Peering out over to where the sky met the Earth, watching as the face of larger mountain crumbled and fell to the way side.

The energy was different than most humans he noticed. Perhaps an investigation would not be such a bad idea. It could be someone worth training with, or it could be… His thought process was interrupt by a rather large scream echoing in the other direction. Decisions, decisions. He turned towards the screams and shrugged; if he was capable of hearing those screams then the person must be pretty close. The warrior who was out wrecking the landscape would probably still be here in just a few moments after all.

Knees bent one more time; he took a leap forward and over the edge of the body of water, his feet digging into the barren ground momentarily before he tore off. The muscles deep within his legs tensed under his weight, ready to throw him forward, and a stream of dust was picked up and tossed behind him as he went.

Speedily moving towards the direction of the commotion, he came over the hill. Bright emerald eyes scanned the surrounding area as he slowed to a leisurely walk, taking only a few moments to rummage through what was there, looking for clues as to what might have happened.

Someone had set a Capsule corps home up here, the large logo from the company apparent on one of the knocked over walls. Seeing from the scattered magazines and numerous bottles of shampoos and soaps that had been strewn about, he assumed it was a female who had been here. Leaving the large pile of rubble, he followed the giant dinosaur footprints in the ground.

The footprints lead him far away from the house, and from the increasing gap in-between each step it was running full speed after something. He huffed and crossed his arms in annoyance. The winds had already swept away most of the tracks, so there was no telling which direction they had gone. Grumbling about a waste of time he turned and took a few steady steps back over to the smashed house, moving some of the walls and furniture out of the way to see if he could find anything of use. Maybe the person would come back, and if not, he could always just keep whatever he found couldn't he? After all he travelled all this way, might as well get something out of it.

Brushings pieces aside with his foot he found a few food capsules and a small capsule corps capsule holder. He picked them up and created a pile by where the door had stood earlier in the day. Not much, but it was a start.

......................................................................

Bulma hadn't realised how far away she actually was from where she had left her demolished capsule house. Everything around her looked the same, and she had no idea which direction she should be going.

"Perhaps if I can find that dinosaurs tracks, it will lead me back. It did chase me form the house after all... so I guess that could work..."

She followed the tracks around the Wastelands for about an hour, when her car began to shudder and cough.

"No.....no no no no!!!! Come on... you can't do this to me now! Please, come on car... stay with me!"

Unfortunately, it seemed that she had used up most of the car's petrol running away from the dinosaur and now it was down to its last drops. With a shuddering cough, the car ground to a halt and thudded to the ground. Bulma groaned and bashed her head repeatedly against the steering wheel.

"This is not good... I am so screwed. Thanks a bunch car..."

With a frustrated growl, she got out of the car and slammed the door shut. Yanking open the boot she brought out a white picnic blanket which had cherry blossoms printed on it and tied it firmly around her waist. It wasn't perfect, but it would do for now. She slipped on her Capsule Corp jacket and slotted the steak knife and battery operated hair straighteners into the top pocket. She was about to leave, but then remembered the pink lunch box her mum had given her, and she tucked it under her arm with a slight smile.

"Thanks Mama, I owe you one..."

With a sigh she began the long trek back to the remains of her demolished house. The sun was beating down on her tired body, sweat running down her face and her long blue hair was sticking to her damp flesh, curling in the hot sun.

Bulma was getting ready to lay down and allow the sun to have its victory, when a loud explosion on the other side of some not so far away mountains made her scream and jump to attention. She took a few steps back, her eyes wide and her heart thumping as if it was trying to escape her chest, as she watched the great foreboding landscape of the Wastelands shatter under exploding balls of great energy. What was worse, the explosions seemed to be getting closer.

Suddenly forgetting her fatigue, she turned and ran as fast as she could in the opposite direction. Her fear and adrenaline only got her so far though, as her tired dehydrated body began to give out. She fell to the hard, cracked ground and lay there gasping for some time. Turning around, she thought she saw a person hovering above the destroyed landscape, but in a blink of an eye, they were gone. Shaking her head in disbelief, she dragged herself to her feet and plodded on. She needed to get shelter and fast. If whatever had been making the mountains explode didn't kill her, then the sun definitely would.

It was another half hour of walking before she saw the cave. Elated as she was at its discovery, she soon despaired, as it was high up dug into the side of a mountain, to get to it, she would have to climb the steep craggy surface.  
Zipping the lunch box into her jacket, Bulma rubbed her hands together and sighed.

"Well, standing here and feeling sorry for myself isn't going to get me safe, I'd better start climbing..."

The climb up was slow and difficult. The rocks cut into the soft flesh of her pampered hands and feet, she slipped several times, scraping down the side of the mountain and thorny brambles snatched at her hair. When she finally reached the cave, she was bloody, dirty and drenched in sweat.

"Well... I sure feel attractive..."

She cursed and grumbled as she crawled into the cool haven of the cave and leant wearily against the cold wall. Suddenly remembering the lunch box, she unzipped her jacket and opened the box. It wasn't long before she had devoured the lunch and drank the entire carton of juice.

"Should have saved most of that really... I don't know how long it's going to take me to get back to whatever is left of the Capsule house for supplies."

She watched out of the mouth of the cave as the explosions stopped and she heaved a sigh of relief. Despite her discomfort, exhaustion won out and she soon fell asleep.


	3. Doors Inside My Head

The Prince stared blankly at the crumbling plateau while quickly becoming enveloped in his thoughts, waiting for the drowning sound of collapsing earth to settle. He mindlessly nursed his hand as he backed away from the destruction he caused, slowly descending from the sky until he touched down upon the dusty Wastelands' surface. The sound of beeping finally drowned out the silence and forced Vegeta to snap to attention in search of the source of the commotion. Eventually, he found the culprit to be the folded up Scouter within the pocket of his training gear.

The Scouter continued to annoyingly pulse until he retrieved the device and opened it up to investigate its detections. On the highlighted LED screen, the technology indicated that there were exactly two other higher than average power signatures in the nearby area, one of which being just beyond a row of plateaus to the south of him. Vegeta looked in the indicated direction but couldn't see any visible sign of the close being, only desolation and dust for as far as his eyes could reach.

After checking his Scouter for a second time, he confirmed that the signature was still there but was now travelling further away from him. The power level of the scanned individual wasn't anything worth worrying about but the proud Saiyan was curious as to why anyone with such insignificant strength would be wandering about such an incredibly harsh region of the planet.

It was that curiosity that overcame the better of him. Vegeta surveyed the area one last time before he leapt into air and took flight cautiously in the direction his Scouter mapped for him. It wasn't too long before he managed to find the signature, which upon further investigation proved to be an indistinguishable human woman running to the base of an accessible plateau. The Saiyan Prince continued to keep his distance and stay out of woman's sight, unfortunately staying far enough away that he couldn't steal a look at her face for his own recognition.

He would have to wait until night fall before he could get closer. It wouldn't be long; the sun was beginning to set behind the mountains.

Just after darkness settled about the Wastelands, Vegeta silently hovered to the mouth of the cave he had watched the woman enter. He felt awkward in the sense he wasn't used to sneaking around in this fashion, being a rather straightforward and bullheaded man in any situation. On the other hand, he couldn't shake the familiarity of the woman randomly out in these arid lands.

He stood at the entrance of the large crevice with the nearly full moon to his back, casting an enormous shadow over the cave floor and the belongings scattered upon it. A faint scowl quickly arose to his countenance as he identified the stranger. It would figure that one of the only women stupid and stubborn enough to venture alone into the dangerous Wastelands was also a well known genius.

Vegeta shook his head and turned abruptly on his heels, leaving the entrance of the cave and walking to the very edge of the steep plateau. He was greeted immediately by the unwelcome sight of a well sized Tyrannosaurus stalking in the area. It must have picked up either his or Bulma's scent and followed it to this location.

While he contemplated leaving and letting Bulma fend for herself against the wandering predator, a glimmer of conscience prevented him from doing so. The Prince sighed haughtily and walked back to the cave entrance, only to stay outside and keep a vigil. He leaned his back against the uncomfortable, jagged rocks and crossed his arms tightly to his chest.

After hours of night spent watching the dinosaur wander the area, still unable to figure out where his prey had wandered off to, the weary Saiyan began to nod off. Before he knew it, he had fully kicked into a lean against the menacing stone and his heavy lids shut, slipping into a light sleep.

.........................................................

It was only when the heated fingers of sunlight touched her cold skin that Bulma realized she had been shivering. Still wrapped in the heavy blanket of sleep, she groggily reached out across the cave floor with a blood caked hand in search of her quilt which had probably fallen off the bed during the night. When the quilt could not be found, Bulma groaned and painfully opened her eyes. Pain rushed her with the force of an express train and she groaned again, holding her head in her hands.  
There was no doubt at all in her mind that she looked absolutely awful. The palms of her hands and the soles of her feet had been cut and blistered from running around out in the Wastelands and climbing the side of the mountain. The blood had dried and cracked, mixed with the sand and dirt of the cave making it look a lot worse than it actually was. She had problems opening her left eye and there was a dull throbbing pain above it. Reaching up, she could feel the swollen lump and healing cut above her eye from the nasty gash she had gained from slipping down the side of the mountain. She was having trouble opening her eye due to the now dry and cracked stream of blood from the gash.

"Wonderful... just wonderful..."

Her entire body ached and throbbed with pain, cold shivers shooting through her from sleeping on the cold, hard surface of the cave floor. Bulma simply was not used to this. She was used to sleeping in a King sized bed covered in feather stuffed duvets and piles and piles of soft fluffy cushions and pillows. Right about now, her mother would be cooking her breakfast and making her a large mug of tea, just as she liked it. After breakfast, she would take a swim in their pool, and then perhaps ring her friends and go shopping, stopping for lunch in the most expensive and luxurious restaurants of course.

Shakily, she staggered to her feet, hissing softly as her body rebelled against the sudden movement. Some of the cuts and scrapes on her feet and legs reopened, causing Bulma to grimace and look around for something to stop the bleeding. For the worst one, just below her knee, she tore off a section of the blanket she was wearing as a skirt and tied it tightly around her leg, the other cuts and scratches; she made do with trying to clean them with the napkin her mother had put in with her lunch.  
The pampered woman didn't need a mirror to know she looked awful. Her long blue hair had fallen from its sensible bun, and had curled in the heat, causing her usually sleek and perfect hair to be a messy mass of curls and ringlets. She had dark shadows under her eyes from a restless night's sleep, and her whole body was patterned with blood and dirt. Definitely not one of her proudest moments.  
Deciding it was time to go out into the world and try to find her way back to her demolished Capsule house; she turned to the entrance of the cave and stopped dead in her tracks. There was someone out there. All she could see was the curve of one shoulder, and the person's leg, the way the sun was shining into the cave cast everything into strange shadows, so she could not get a proper look at the person without getting closer. She wasn't quite ready to simply walk up to a stranger who happened to be sleeping outside her cave... actually, what was this person doing outside her cave? Was he a stalker? Someone from the press waiting to get a picture of the genius Bulma Briefs in a less than flattering state? Or was this something far more sinister?  
Slipping the steak knife from her pocket and gripping it tightly in her right hand, she slowly bent down, keeping an eye on the figure and picked up a fist sized rock. Taking a deep breath then letting it out slowly, she flung the rock at the stranger and took a few quick steps back into the shadows.

The Saiyan Prince's eyes had just begun to drift open when a large rock struck him in his relaxed triceps. His muscles immediately tightened from the attack and bulged against the conforming fabric of his training suit. The rock itself didn't hurt the Saiyan as much as the overwhelming shock of being attacked in his sleep had.

Again, his face was distorted with an expression of anger at the quick realization of where the rock had come from and the remembrance of why he slept outside of a cave all night. Vegeta growled and whirled away from the cliff side, stepping into the mouth of the cave to face Bulma. His image seemed more like a standing shadow and his facial features were unrecognizable in the darkness now that the morning sun was rising against his back. However, it was quite clear who he was by his distinguishable mess of hair spiked wildly toward the cave ceiling.

His head rolled along the bearings of his shoulders to loosen up, accompanied by the sickening sound of his muscles and joints popping sporadically as he worked them over.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

He called out to the blue haired woman, his rough voice scraping soundly through the hollow cave. Vegeta's voice was harsh and biting, and was clearly irritated by his lack of sleep and rude awakening.

"Next time, I'll just feed you to the Tyrannosaurus and save myself the trouble."

A ray of light peeked over the ridge of his shoulder and cast sunshine over the ragged looking genius, who appeared to have been a victim of the brutal terrain and obstacles of the Wastelands. The image of her did bring him a small sense of satisfaction, knowing she was used to being pampered and that this adventure seemed to be a bit more than she could chew.

"It looks like you've been enjoying your stay out here,"

He smirked as he openly mocked the haggard looking woman, but then returned to his stern and commanding nature.

"You must be stupid or have a death wish. Why are you out here all alone, Woman?"

Vegeta stepped to the side of the cave entrance, letting the sunlight illuminate a portion of his profile to her—just in case she hadn't figured out who he was already. He considered for a moment why he even bothered to lecture her, knowing his words would only fall on deaf ears. Her stubborn attitude was the only one on this planet that rivalled his own, although he would never openly admit it.

He turned away from her and gazed out over the dry landscape. The signs of another extremely hot day could be seen on the sand and rocks in the form of heat vapors distorting the air. In his silence, his stomach broke into a low grumbling, reminding him that it had to miss lunch due to training and dinner due to guarding.

Vegeta thought about the second power level his Scouter had picked up momentarily, and noted that it seemed to have faded off during the night when he last checked. He wasn't entirely sure that the person or being was gone but he didn't let the concern overtake him for much longer. He was more obligated to finish his business here and retire to an enormous breakfast and a comfortable sleep.

Bulma yelped as the person moved swiftly around and yelled at her. She closed her eyes tightly and began slashing the knife around in front of her and fumbled for the hair straighteners, trying to switch them on with shaking fingers.

"No! Get away from me you pervert! My father will have you jailed for this you great big, stupid... Vegeta?"

One eye cracked open as the familiarity of the voice sank into her tired mind, and she looked at the imposing shadow, the gravity defying spiked hair looked like black flame against the rising sun.  
She sighed with relief and slumped against the wall of the cave, feeling grateful that it was the disgruntled Saiyan that stood outside the cave, and not some enemy about to whisk her away and hold her to ransom. But the obvious relief in her eyes quickly turned to anger as she stalked up to the proud Prince and waved the steak knife in his face.

"What am I doing? What the hell do you think you're doing? Sneaking up on me like that! How dare you just turn up and...and... well... be you!"

Bulma huffed and held the knife between her teeth as she reached back and tried to do something with her hair. But no amount of teasing, petting, twisting or combing with her fingers would calm down the unruly mass. With a growl of frustration and a stomp of her foot, she crossed her arms and glared at Vegeta, looking like a mirror image of the Saiyan's normal arrogant stance.

Bulma snorted at his words and turned her face away from him, her nose stuck up in the air in a haughty manner.

"Stupid? Death wish? I shall have you know, Vegeta that I am in the middle of my training and you are interrupting!"

She slid narrowed blue eyes over to look at the arrogant Saiyan and allowed a nasty little smirk of her own to grace her ruby lips. She couldn't let him know that actually, she was quite glad he was here. Her first day of training hadn't gone as well as she had expected, in fact she was tired, hungry and frightened. Despite being a pain in the backside, Vegeta was a big scary Saiyan, she doubted there was anything bigger and badder in the Wastelands than him, so at least she was safe. And it was this surety of her survival that made her arrogant.

"I was doing just fine, I'll have you know! I survived being attacked by a dinosaur, and some lunatic blowing up the mountains! I even found myself a shelter! My first shelter was a lot better, as it was near water... but I like this one. It means I can watch out for enemies and such."

She slid narrowed blue eyes over to look at the arrogant Saiyan and allowed a nasty little smirk of her own to grace her ruby lips. She couldn't let him know that actually, she was quite glad he was here. Her first day of training hadn't gone as well as she had expected, in fact she was tired, hungry and frightened. Despite being a pain in the backside, Vegeta was a big scary Saiyan, she doubted there was anything bigger and badder in the Wastelands than him, so at least she was safe. And it was this surety of her survival that made her arrogant.

"I was doing just fine, I'll have you know! I survived being attacked by a dinosaur, and some lunatic blowing up the mountains! I even found myself a shelter! My first shelter was a lot better, as it was near water... but I like this one. It means I can watch out for enemies and such. We'll see how high and mighty you are when I'm flying, controlling my Ki and kicking your ass!"

She flicked her unruly hair out of her bright blue eyes and smirked. If she trained really hard today, she might be able to fly by night fall, then she'd show him.

The proud Saiyan had turned away from Bulma as she rambled about her ongoing training and all the accomplishments she achieved while being stuck out here in the Wastelands. Vegeta's body shook a little bit as he attempted to refrain from laughing but it was a fight he wasn't meant to win. He cackled with roaring laughter at the mere thought of the Capsule Corporation's princess training to become anything more than a genius inventor. In fact, his eyes were on the verge of tearing up when his heinous laughing finally died down.

Vegeta turned to face Bulma directly, staring at her sternly with his cold glare. He took a single step closer to her and took a casual stance with one arm hung loosely at his side while the opposite hand grasped at its elbow.

"Training? This isn't kind of place you come to play dress up and be Daddy's little girl. You are lucky I found you,"

The arrogant Prince spouted, mocking Bulma in the same fashion that he turned his head to the side and lifted his nose into the air. He continued on to mumble about how he was unlucky to find her, on the other hand.

Vegeta brought his hands together and pressed his fingers outward, cracking them in unison with one another. Now that he thought about it, he should probably continue with his own training but it was against his better judgment to leave her out in the Wastelands alone. He sighed deeply on the inside as his inner conflict subsided and he retired against the wall again.

He grinned lightly at the thought of her attempting to fight him. Even if she did manage to learn the art of Bukujutsu, she was still a long way off from ever harming him.

"Unless you mean you'll be annoying me to death, I don't think I have to worry too much about your idle threats."

Bulma's face flushed with anger as the arrogant Prince laughed at her. How dare he?! How dare he laugh at her? HER! Bulma Briefs, the richest, prettiest and most intelligent woman on the planet!  
She stood with her mouth gaping open for a few moments, blinking her large blue eyes at the audacity of the Saiyan. Gaining her composure, she narrowed her eyes at him and lifted her chin in defiance. She wouldn't allow him to make her feel inferior, even though it seemed to be one of his strengths.

"I have not come here as 'Daddy's Little Girl!' When I leave here, I will be a warrior in my own right, and you men won't be able to fly off on your little adventures and leave me behind anymore! You will have to respect me as a warrior, and not just use me as a coin purse, or to use my GR!"

Just being in the man's presence irritated her to no end. She felt her fists clench at her sides as the urge to punch him in his smirking face over-whelmed her. She hated how he had picked apart her entire reason for coming here by simply implying she was weak. She was quite proud of herself for what she thought was quick thinking, and bravely facing the cruel elements of the Wastelands.

"Idle threats? These are no idle threats, your Highness. In fact, I think you're afraid!"

She allowed a small smile to grace her lips as she placed her hands on her hips.

"You're worried I'll beat you, aren't you? The great Prince of all Saiyans, beaten by a small human woman! You would never be able to show yourself in public again!"

She stood grinning at him, feeling a little like one who had just spend the past few minutes poking a crocodile with a stick.

"Hah."

He laughed once to himself as he heard her last words before he was about to take to the high skies. Vegeta was unable to resist the temptation of calling her on the claim of might she spewed so dramatically. A moment later, he dropped back down to the plateaus ledge, continuing to keep his back turned to her. The Saiyan only tilted his head mildly to the side, allowing him to peer back at Bulma out of the corner of his eye.

"Maybe you aren't as smart as everyone thinks you are. Openly challenging a Saiyan to combat?"

Vegeta's sadistic grin lent him an arrogant charm which he used to weaken Bulma's false sense of control.

"Do you wish to try your hand at your claim?"

Gradually, he turned to face the ragged looking woman, whose hair was currently as outrageous as his own. A single hand was drawn from his side, from which he pointed a finger directly at the genius inventor.

"Or is your bark bigger than your bite?"

His hand rotated at the wrist to turn his palm upside, letting his fingers bend and beckon Bulma to test her strength against him.

His power level slowly began to rise. Vegeta made the gathering of his energy noticeable in order to shave down Bulma's determination. Small rocks and dust began to pool at his feet, turning over and revolving in the turbulence his summoning of power created.

The winds about him shifted awkwardly, rapidly changing their course to avoid contact with his body and creating a constant stream of howling air into the occupied cavern. His spiked hair flailed wildly and loose areas of his training shirt flapped in the same manner. The faintest hint of an evolving aura blossomed around the Saiyan Prince's figure, glowing weakly in fluctuation of blue and white colors.  
With Vegeta at the only exit to the cavern, it was easy to say that she was definitely stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Bulma's eyes widened a little and her mouth became suddenly dry. Watching the Saiyan openly flaunt his power, made her want to scream and run away, but where would she run to? Aimlessly into the darkness where anything could happen to her? What if there was a dinosaur was back there. That last thought turned her blood to ice as she realised just how foolish she had been. Anything could live in the depths of this cave, and she hadn't even thought to check.  
Licking her lips nervously, she shifted her feet into a stance Roshi had taught to her when she was younger. She was poised to move quickly out of the way should she need to.  
The rise in his power level continued to increase until his energy output suddenly ceased without any warning. Changes in the weather went back to normal as if nothing had ever disturbed them, letting the winds die down and breeze freely as well as allowing the risen fragments of dust and earth to fall back to the ground with a clatter. His grin still jerked mildly, as he took another intimidating step closer to Bulma.

"I can feel the change in your power level as you get nervous."

His body's image seemed to distort a bit as he continued closer to the war-torn looking woman, flickering off and on with a hazy blue appearance and accompanied by heavy gusts of air rising from nowhere. Finally, he came to a stop just a few inches in front of Bulma, where he glared at her for a moment.

Vegeta's hands pushed forward bearing the steak knife and hair straighteners Bulma previously wielded, which he dropped to the dirty cave floor with an amused laugh. His dark eyes narrowed as he walked steadily towards the trembling blue haired woman, enjoying the obvious fear in her eyes.  
Bulma gasped and her eyes widened as she felt her back hit the cave wall, and yet Vegeta kept coming. She jumped as both the Saiyan's hands slammed on either side of her head against the ragged cave wall. With a deadly smirk, Vegeta's head descended down to whisper in the trembling woman's ear.

"You can lower whatever guard you have left. I'm not going to harm you."

His amused appearance wouldn't fade as he took a step to the side and leaned into the cold embrace of the cave wall.

"I would feel like I'm taking a victory away from the Wastelands, who have beaten you down considerably already."

In the back of his mind, he could feel the presence of the power level from the day before approaching, which caused the small hairs on the back of his neck to rise. The approaching signature was much closer to Bulma's than his own but as a trained warrior; he was always on his guard even if things appeared to be easy.

Bulma gritted her teeth against the scathing comment that threatened to escape her lips. Swallowing hard she licked her lips nervously and ran a hand through her unruly hair. Perhaps she needed to stop goading the Saiyan. Maybe.  
Gathering her composure, she crossed her arms and gave Vegeta a smug smile.

"So you've got a few tricks of your own... doesn't make you better than me. And I have not been beaten down thank you very much! I had a little problem with a dinosaur that wrecked my house is all, hence my attire! And I'd like to see you climb part way up a mountain and not get a few cuts and bruises!"

She approached him slowly, her muscles tense, and adrenaline rushing through her body. She hated that a part of her was still very much afraid of him, but then again, she figured that she was glad she was afraid. It meant she wasn't insane.

"Well, if you're so amazing, Vegeta. Why don't you train me?"

She came ever closer, bright blue eyes flicking over the where Vegeta had thrown the knife. She couldn't see the hair straighteners, which sparked her annoyance. They'd been expensive, and she wanted to sort out her mane of hair.  
"You think you know everything about being the perfect warrior, and how to train effectively. I bet you think you know these Wastelands like the back of your hand don't you? Well, prove it!"  
Bulma stopped when they were mere inches away from each other, her chin raised in defiance and her eyes gleaming with challenge.

His strong arms were lifted and his gloved hands were tucked beneath his head to use as a makeshift pillow as he watched Bulma advance in a predatory manner. The look on his face steadily began to change as she started to run her mouth, until it was eventually stone solid without any hint of expression. When she finally stopped talking, he took a long pause to gather the perfect words that would ultimately sum up the flawless answer to her probing questions.

Why wouldn't he train her?

"You're too annoying."

He grumbled loudly, fighting with all his inherited Saiyan strength in order to prevent the pleased smile he wanted to crack.

It was true that Vegeta would probably be a great teacher to the up and coming Bulma but he wasn't sure if his nerves could take the constant pressure. At every twist and turn he would expect whining, questioning, and resistance. The Prince of Saiyans momentarily imagined the outcome of a hypothetical situation that was bound to happen more than often, resulting in the two of them face to face in flushed anger and screaming at the top of their lungs.

The imagery itself bothered him, and he shook it from his mind with a shake of his head. He opened his eyes and looked at Bulma again, as if she waited any further reasoning as to why he wouldn't train her but that is the only reason he had.

After he continued to think about the situation, he wondered if there was actually anyone on the Planet Earth that would be able to handle Bulma as one of their pupils. He imagined Roshi being assaulted after one of his lewd remarks and the poor old Kami shaking his head and sighing in frustration once the woman refused any work out that might mess up her hair.

"I'm too what?!"

Bulma stomped her foot and shrieked at the arrogant Saiyan, her eye narrowed, blazing with blue fire and her pearly white teeth clenched in fury. She balled her fists, and for a moment, it looked like she was going to hit him, but she turned swiftly and began to pick up the pink lunch box, the knife and then wandered around the cave looking for her hair straighteners. When she finally found them, she switched them off and placed them securely back in her pocket.

"I'm annoying? I'M annoying?! I think you should take a good look in the mirror, your HIGHNESS! You have to be the most irritating male I have ever met in my entire life! You know, most men would be honoured at the chance to train me! I am Bulma Briefs! I am a very important person!"

She huffed and looked around the cave to make sure she hadn't left anything before zipping the lunch box into her Capsule Corp jacket and striding defiantly to the cave entrance.

"Well, you know what, Vegeta? I don't need your damn help! I'll become a warrior all by myself. I suggest you stay out of my way, as the next time I see you I'll... I'll.... well, I don't know what I'll do, but I promise you it will hurt a lot!"

Bulma stormed out of the cave and stood nervously on the edge looking down towards the ground. It was only now that she realised how high up she really was. She swelled with pride a little that she'd managed to climb all that way and only come away with minor injuries.  
Licking her lips nervously, she knelt down on the very edge and began to lower herself over the side.

"This would be so much easier if I could fly..."

She muttered softly to herself and she began the long climb down the mountain.

Vegeta watched on as the Capsule Corporation genius lost her control and blew up in a fit of rage. She was more like him than even she realized, stomping around like an ape after she didn't get her way.

When he was awakened this morning by the rock that struck his arm, the Saiyan royal was certain that it was only the beginning of a horrible day. On the other hand, he was having quite a great time taking out his own frustrations on the helpless human woman.

He glanced at Bulma as she bounced back and forth through the cave, nearly steaming from the ears as she assembled her mess of goods and began to climb back down from the huge plateau. Following slowly after her and tracing her steps up to the ledge, Vegeta stared down at Bulma as she awkwardly and cautiously descended.

The wind seemed to embrace him as he walked over the cliff; his energy flowing freely as he slowly hovered down to float behind Bulma. Now equipped with a mocking grin, he crossed his arms over his chest in a taut fashion while still keeping in time with the proud woman's slow movements.

"You should know, there is someone out here. I've been keeping track them ever since they were picked up on my scouter. It could be another dinosaur or it could be a Wastelands' bandit."

It wasn't his intention to scare the Briefs' princess but it was always good to be aware of one's surroundings.

"Decent weather today, it's humid and hot."

He was lying, of course, he hated the humidity but he was sure it was much worse for Bulma who was in the midst of physical activity.

"Not the best kind of weather to climb down a mountain, though. Your hands will sweat and holds will be slippery. I'm sure you knew that before you hastily made your way over the edge, though."

Bulma's entire body was quivering as she made her way painfully slowly down the mountain. She was hungry, tired and thirsty. Her pampered body was dehydrated and not used to being out in such rough conditions. She whimpered softly as a particularly sharp jutting piece of rock re-opened a gash on the soft flesh of her hand. Gritting her teeth she tried to ignore the pain, not wanting to look weaker than she already did in front of the arrogant Prince.  
She yelped in surprise and nearly jumped off the mountain when Vegeta spoke from right behind her. She had been concentrating so hard on clinging to the side of the mountain whilst at the same time trying to get down that she hadn't even noticed he'd moved. Clinging to the side of the mountain for dear life, she turned her head slightly and snarled at the Saiyan.

"You know, you're really not helping right now, Vegeta! I am sure I can deal with one or two bloody dinosaurs! I managed with the last one, so I doubt very much that any others will pose much of a problem for me! And as for a Wastelands Bandit, I dealt with Yamcha, so anyone else will be a piece of cake! I do not need your advice, and I most certainly do not need your help, so if you don't mind get lost so I can get down this damn mountain!"

Muttering expletives and not so nice things about the Saiyan Prince, she carried on struggling her way down the mountain, ignoring the stabs of pain and the aches of her tired body. When Vegeta spoke again, waffling on about the weather or something, Bulma ground her teeth in frustration. She was about to lash out with a scathing remark when her foot slipped. Her hands moist with sweat were unable to get a proper grip and she slipped away from the small ledge she had been clinging to. Frantically, she scrabbled to grab hold of anything as she scraped down the side of the mountain. She dug her fingers into the hard rock in an attempt to stop her fall, but all it did was slow her slightly and tear up her finger tips.


	4. Bolted From Within

Vegeta listened half heartedly as Bulma once again spewed and spouted various complaints toward the dominant Saiyan male, spending the most of his attention looking over the absence of clouds in the sun filled sky. The sun was turning the temperature up outside and as a result, Vegeta's temper was quicker to rise and he was easily irritated.

He was about to grumble about how not every bandit can be easily dealt with by a little bit of flirting, as was the case with the cowardly Yamcha, when he noticed Bulma lose her footing against the plateau side. Her initial resistance was futile and she was unable to regain her former hold, now beginning to fall away from the craggy wall when Vegeta stepped in.

With his sharp instincts and quick speed, the Prince thrust out both white gloved hands to catch a hold of the genius inventor by her delicate wrists. In one fluid motion, he dragged the woman up and hoisted her over his left shoulder at the waistline, allowing her the view of the world set behind him as he slowly descended.

There was still a long distance between where she started to fall and the earth below, and had Vegeta not been there to rectify her poor judgment, she could have easily suffered a few broken bones—if she was lucky.

"If you weren't such a loudmouth, maybe you would have been able to handle that climb,"

He arrogantly slewed just before he touched down to the dusted and cracked ground. After a moment, he took a hold of Bulma and planted her securely before taking a few steps away from her.

Vegeta clapped his hands together a few times to clear the accumulated climbing sediment transferred onto them from Bulma's dirty clothes. Once done, he put his hands on his hips and looked over the area, surveying for the presence he continued to feel—ignoring the damaged woman currently.

"What a pain in the ass," he muttered silently.

The human woman had her eyes squeezed shut, waiting for the inevitable crushing pain and readying herself to let loose an ear-splitting scream when she felt Vegeta grab her wrists. Her eyes flew open in shock, as she had just about convinced herself that he would have let her fall. Probably to teach her a lesson or something. But he hadn't. She frowned at this confusing turn of events, but had no time to muse on it, as she was unceremoniously hoisted onto the Saiyan's shoulder. She let out a little yelp of surprise, and was going to shout at him, but the view of the dizzying height stopped her in her tracks. Her entire body was shaking as they descended, and to her embarrassment she found herself clinging to Vegeta's training uniform.  
Bulma was still in shock when they finally landed, and surprisingly didn't retaliate when Vegeta insulted her. She turned and looked up the mountain, the cave looked so far away, and she had only been a little way under it when she had slipped.

"Thank you."

Her words were quiet and mumbled, but it would have been no problem for Vegeta's Saiyan hearing to pick up. Dusting herself off, Bulma winced as she noticed the tips of her fingers which were all torn and bloody. One hand was missing two nails whilst the others were all cracked and broken. She groaned and leant up against the craggy rock, staring in dismay at her ruined hands.

"I had just gotten a manicure as well. It will be forever before I get a chance to get another one done! This is horrible. And my home manicure kit is back in the trashed Capsule house, along with the first aid kit!"

She gritted her teeth in frustration before sighing and striding off in no particular direction.

"Well, I'm not going to find that house again just standing here; I'd better get a move on."

He stood silently in a thought filled reflection. He was supposed to be out here catching up on his training and increasing his strength, instead it felt like he was babysitting. Yet, it felt like some minor, insignificant portion of him wasn't bothered too much over it. The Saiyan scowled and felt a tiny bit of disgust over that momentary lapse of weakness but shook it off and vowed to resume what he came here to do.

With his back still turned to Bulma, he extended his arm and pointed in the direction of the destroyed Capsule house she was talking about, which he had seen on his original flight over to the plateau the night before. He ignored her blessings of thankfulness being that he was unable to relate to such a concept and remained silent as she began to depart.

Vegeta turned to the opposite direction of Bulma and spied a series of plateaus he could work with for strength and agility training. He turned his head slowly to the side and relished in the pop that sounded along with it, loosening the tense state his body currently was in before setting off.

As he walked, he closed his eyes to the sun and the world and sunk into his driving thoughts, queuing up a moment by moment playbook of what he needed to accomplish in the Wastelands before he could return to the city and feel like he satisfied his training requirements.

In the back of his mind he could hear a piercing voice nagging on him that sounded much akin to Bulma's, which he wanted to delve into and silence with a measurable display of brute force. The conscience that came along with being a savior of innocents was annoying, yet it was better than serving as a boy scout to a fiendish weasel like Frieza.

When she saw Vegeta point in the opposite direction of where she had began walking, she grumbled a little and did an abrupt turn and walked past the Saiyan with her head held high.

"Goodbye Vegeta, I can handle things from here."

She waved dismissively, gathering what was left of her dignity; she walked away from the Saiyan without once looking back. Despite her dishevelled appearance, she carried herself like a Queen, walking through the Wastelands as a Royal may walk through their rose gardens. She felt flustered and angry with herself and Vegeta. The genius inventor felt a little safer knowing that the Saiyan Prince was in the Wastelands, but at the same time she hated it. How was she going to learn how to do things by herself if there was always someone there to catch her when she fell? All her life she had never wanted for anything, and along with that, she was sheltered and spoiled. Bulma didn't really know how to survive in the real world. She hid behind her wealth and her father's company. Because of this, many did not see her as a person in her own right. She was the pretty Daddy's Girl, the inventor, the spoiled rich princess.

Once Vegeta was out of Bulma's sight around the side of a nearby plateau, he quickly leapt into the air blasted off into a quick flight. It was time he paid a visit to the unknown power level he continually noticed on his scouter and see exactly what it was up to. He equipped the device in the midst of flying and dialled it down to focus on the surprisingly close signature, which he now realized had a clear view of the plateau cave he just recently left.

It was only a matter of moments before he was levitating down from the air, soundlessly approaching whom he identified as a fiery haired male still spying down on the scene that previously unfolded.

Vegeta quietly adjusted his gloves, pulling them tight along the lengths of his fingers before he clenched his hands into solid fists. He hovered forward until he was but a few inches from the man's back and swiftly lifted his booted foot and placed it along the unidentified stalker's spine.

"Don't move or I'll snap you in two, fool,"

The mighty Saiyan was positive he could put his boot through the man's back before he had the chance to evade. Judging by the reading currently flashing on his scouter, he could make short work of him without even breaking a single drop of sweat. It was in the red haired man's best interest to listen to the short-tempered fighter.

"Not many people enjoy being spied on. Especially when they know you are there."

He continued on saying as he applied a greater amount of pressure with his strong, flexed leg. Vegeta watched Bulma as she walked away from the area without knowing about his current activities, grinning faintly as he looked back down to his prey.

"I suggest you start talking."


	5. Every Drop of Flame

As the pair started to part ways he set into his mind that perhaps he should just continue on his way once again. The blue haired woman had taken off and now the spiky haired male was disappearing into the sky. His guard dropped for only a moment as he sighed, thinking of maybe getting something to eat. It was not a bad idea after all. His eyes closing partially at the thought of some fresh meat, or even fruits.

Then there came that mental pull, screaming a warning through his day dreaming and telling him he needed to move. But it was far too late. His bright emerald eyes shot open as something pressed harshly into his back. He grumbled to himself about being an idiot before slowly sticking his hands up to show he meant no harm

His voice came confidently, sure of his own honesty in his actions.

"There is not much to be said, warrior. I only came here in search of whoever owned the destroyed house. I had intended to offer help when I heard the screams this time yesterday. I believe your blue haired companion was the source of the distress."

He staggered forward a little as the Saiyan's foot pressed further into his back.

"I did not come to spy, I sensed your strength and was not sure if I should reveal myself yet. Though obviously I was already noticed."

If he had seen the man coming at least he could have tried to fight, but in such a compromising position he was very much at his mercy.

"I gathered a container of capsules I planned on returning to her, but if you would rather do so in my stead, then that is fine with me!"

He turned his head only slightly to look upon his assaulter. He must use a whole lot of gel to keep his hair like that. And what is that outfit he was wearing? Seemed like something out of a scifi movie. Though the smile was at the edge of his lips, he refrained from insulting the man. Being in two halves really didn't seem very good for his personal health.

Vegeta appeared stern in the man's eyes after he had panned around slightly to catch a look of the bold Saiyan who pinned him in place. The reality of the situation was that he truly didn't care to hear the red haired spy's reasoning. Whether or not he was telling the truth wasn't any consequence to the Prince, who appeared to only want his dominance to be known and for this unknown character to know that there was an eye aware of his actions.

After a moment of contemplation, he pressed slightly harder upon the long haired man's back and forced his face closer to the ground.

"Give me the capsules,"

He barked out the order, poising his leg in a manner that would allow the man to retrieve the hidden items and toss them back to the Prince. The question dealing with Bulma went without a response.

"I should just deal with you right now."

The golden tip of his boot dug in between the compromised man's shoulder blades, angling into a position that would easily allow Vegeta to completely grind the stranger into the rocks with little resistance. For a time, the Prince's weary mind actually contemplated and envisioned crushing the last breath from the lurking man's lungs—a throwback to the path he used to walk before his time spent on Earth.

He wasn't going to lie, the thought wasn't absolutely unappealing. However, the desire to shed the planet of life came from an entirely different place of reasoning. His unsettling rage wasn't derived from the pleasure of sated bloodlust and worthiness of strength he previously strived for, but seemed to be considered some twisted sense of valiant protection.

Vegeta shook his head and scowled deeply. He needed to get away from everyone. All this unnecessary interaction with people was disturbing the troubled serenity he received from his intentional solitude.

However, in his distraction, he loosened up the strain he was putting on Serigon's back.

"If you value your life, you will hurry."

His body ached with that pressure keeping him pinned, labouring more and more for breath until the Saiyan let his foot up some to allow him a small amount of movement.

"As you wish, I did not mean to cause any trouble."

The man was indeed very angry at what seemed to be the entire world. Of course he could have just been on a defensive rant. He searched into his pocket for but a moment, taking hold of the metal container.

Pulling it from his pocket he held it back over his head towards the spiky haired man.

"I also found her car, and decided to load it in there as well."

Once it was taken he lay his hand back down, awaiting to see if his end had truly come. No, not today. As the man's distraction came with taking the capsules he rolled, tossing the man's foot from him. His palms struck the ground hard, allowing him to vault into the air, floating there as he peered to the other man, making no movement to attack.

Yes the man was stronger than he, and perhaps even faster, but he could not just lay there underneath him like some dog waiting to be kicked

. "I do hope you will be able to return them to her, if you find the time. I know not if I offended you or your friend, I merely meant to offer aid. Not to pick a fight with someone obviously stronger than me."

He brushed his hands over his broad chest, relieving his clothes of the dirt and dust which had accumulated there. He never once took his eyes off the one whom was so quick to show his superiority.

Vegeta looked at the case with steeled eyes and deemed the contents irrelevant, and so, tightened his grip on the capsules until the reinforced container buckled under his might and was crushed into a compact ball of scrap metal.  
The two men now stood face to face and Vegeta stared the red haired man down, looking quite the rugged threat with severely dirt caked training clothes and restless, black lines underneath his focused eyes.

"She is nothing but an annoying, privileged, loud mouthed brat. Don't insinuate she is my friend,"

The Saiyan sneered, the lengths of his voice deep with frustration. His head was already a mess as it was, he didn't need the assistance of random fools putting thoughts into the clustered fray.

His closed hand opened wide and let the collapsed capsule container fall carelessly to the craggy earth before turning his back to the unknown man and pacing away.

"You can take what is left of them to her yourself. I'm no one's errand boy."

He approached the edge of the rocky terrain they occupied and then suddenly blasted into the sky, carried by an explosion of energy into a blaze of flight. A good sized crater was left as marked territory where the ground beneath him detonated into shards and dust. The air behind him streaked a trail of white in accommodation to his angered swiftness tearing up the lower layers of the atmosphere.

It was time for him to recede into the solace of his aggressive training, where he could mill over arising situations and unfamiliar notions through the brutal ministrations of his swollen fists upon monstrous mountainsides.

.......................................................................

It took her the best part of an hour for Bulma to reach the smashed up Capsule house and she cried out in dismay. Rushing into the crumbling building she began to sift through the rubble, trying to find anything that wasn't in little bits and scattered around the dusty floor. With a crow of delight, she held the first aid kit aloft like it was a trophy and sat down on the edge of a worktop that was miraculously still standing and began working on her wounds. Once her wounds were cleaned and bandaged, she found an old back pack and began filling it with food which hadn't been destroyed, bottles of water and a sleeping bag. Rummaging further, she found a pair of black shorts and a dark blue vest which had 'Princess' written in glitter on the front. They were dusty and rumpled, but intact, so with a quick look around to check for peeping toms, she quickly changed her clothes before continuing foraging.

It wasn't long before Bulma had filled the back pack with things she thought she might need and hadn't been too damaged in the destruction of the house. She was about to leave when she noticed something propped up against a pile of rubble that made her squeal with delight. It was one of Yamcha's baseball bats. Happily she picked it up and gave a few practice swings, relieved when it didn't fall to bits in her hands.

"Well, for once I'm actually pleased that Yamcha just leaves his stuff lying around after he's used my things!"

Humming cheerily to herself, she hoisted the back pack onto her shoulders and left the demolished house, swinging the bat as she went. The dishevelled woman went straight down to the stream and knelt down beside it. Taking a cautious look around, she stripped down to her bikini and stepped into the water. Despite the hot desert sun, it was quite chilly and she shuddered as she rummaged through her bag and brought out shampoo and shower gel.

"Ok, a quick wash and then on with my training! I have wasted far too much time already."

As she washed her hair, she looked up around feeling a little nervous. Vegeta had said something about a Wastelands bandit, and Bulma sincerely wished she had a scouter. Well, as long as she was quick and kept moving, she was sure she'd be ok.  
Lying back in the chilly water, she rinsed her hair and enjoyed feeling cool instead of hot and sweaty. For a moment her thoughts drifted to Vegeta and what he was doing. It had been so long since she had seen him. He had just taken off one day without any explanation. To say that she hadn't been worried or concerned would be a lie, as much as she hated to admit it.

"Humph.... stupid Saiyan..."

She pulled herself from out of the stream and quickly dried herself off with a towel. It was time to get started. Laying down on the towel she began to do what she had hoped would be one hundred sit ups, but she only managed twenty before collapsing back on the ground panting.

"Ok.... forget that.... I'll just go through what Roshi taught me..."

She set up an old broken mannequin and went at it in a flurry of kicks and punches. Despite the fact she lacked strength, she was swift, and she knew that may save her in battle if she was lucky.

Now free of the angry Saiyan, the warrior with the long red hair shot up into the blue sky, making a mental note of the oddly clad, spike haired threat from who knows where. Energy swirled around him and off he went, running the happenings through his mind. Mentally beating himself up for dropping his guard. Back towards the plateau, up and over he went, lowering altitude and skimming along the surface of the ground.  
Debating on whether or not he should finish his task, he sighed softly to himself. No reason to hold ones action against another was there?  
Back tracking he came to where he had found the car, and not long after to where that house lay crushed into bits. He had every intention of continuing along his way, but there below was that same blue haired girl from earlier. A soft smirk played on his lips and his eyes darkened slightly as he watched her. This time there was no mysterious warrior around to attack him.

Clenching his fists he slowly let his energy dissipate from within him and drop his body from the confines of the clouds. Once he was meters from the ground his energy picked up again and slowed his decent. Right foot outstretched taking the brunt of his landing, melding seamlessly into letting his other foot catch his weight evenly. He stood about one hundred yards from where the female was wailing upon a standing training device.

Cautiously he began to approach where she stood, already the days heat was causing his body temperature to rise upon stopping the breezy flight pattern. Once he was a bit closer he waited, crossing arms over his chest. After all he did not wish to frighten her, he needed the Capsule Corp genius on his side.

He smirked some to himself and continued to watch the beautiful woman. Despite her flustered appearance gifted to her by the Wastelands, her beauty shone through and the man's eyes darkened with lust. He just had to play the sweet country boy a little longer.


	6. Lights a Candle In

With a yell, Bulma swung her leg around in a round house kick and send the head of the mannequin flying off and smashing through one of the remaining windows of the Capsule house. Panting and grinning happily to herself she took a brief moment to catch her breath before she swiftly lunged forward, thrusting one fist towards the mannequin's stomach. There was a satisfying crack as thin lines etched across the torso. With another well placed kick, the remaining arm flew off and shattered on the ground and Bulma let out a crow of triumph.

"I think I might actually be getting better at this fighting lark!"

She turned to get a bottle of water from her bag, when she noticed a strange man standing and watching her. Despite his relaxed stance, and non-threatening manner, Bulma could not help but remember what Vegeta had said about a Wasteland's bandit. Her eyes widened in panic and she looked around frantically, desperately hoping to see a certain Saiyan Prince nearby, but she had no such luck. Realising that she was all alone, she dived for the baseball bat and ran at the man swinging.

"You keep away from me! You horrible bandit! Don't you dare go touching me, I don't care how you threaten me, you're not getting my money... or anything else you might want! Stay away you pervert! Stay away!"

Completely forgetting all the fighting skills she had been taught by Roshi, she reacted simply in panic and instinct, aiming to hurt the man as quickly and badly as she could so that she could run away and hide.

"My father will have you cast into a pit and locked up forever, and the key will be thrown into the deepest ocean! So get lost, be gone! Or... or I'll hurt you really badly!"

His hands unfurled from his chest as he swiftly stepped back, raising his arms in front of his face and dodging each swing from the bat.

"Miss... I... am not... here to... hurt you."

He took another step back, and kicked up from the ground and floated into the air high enough to get out of reach of the female. Taking a deep breath, he shook his head and forced the angered, spiteful look from his face.

"I am not here for your money, or anything else you have, jeez. What is with you people out here? Too much sun or something? I heard you in trouble yesterday and tracked you in hopes of returning some of the belongings I had scavenged. But your friend destroyed them."

The red haired man hovered in a tight circle around the frightened woman, making it so she was slightly disorientated and had to keep moving to keep her eye on him.

"Are you going to calm yourself so that I can come back down now?"

The warrior was more than a match for the blue haired female, but he did not make any threatening gestures as of yet.

He crossed his arms over his broad chest and allowed his glittering emerald eyes to gaze approvingly over her. She was easy to anger is seemed, and obviously irrational. Suddenly his mind flickered hack to her friend, no wonder they got along, so well. He smirked and resisted the urge to chuckle as he thought of the pair as a couple.

Panting heavily, she gripped the baseball bat harder with both hands, running forward and aimed to crack him across the head. But then he flew straight up into the air, causing her to shriek in frustration. Why was it that every damn male that crossed her path could fly? Was the universe mocking her or something? Bulma gritted her teeth, and was considering trying to jump up and flail the bat around in an attempt to hit him, when he mentioned that he once had some of her belongings, but her friend had destroyed them.

She lowered the bat, eyeing him suspiciously as he circled her, not quite sure what to do next. It seemed like he was lying, he had to be. None of her friends would come here, apart from maybe Goku, but if he was in the Wastelands she would know about it by now. She frowned and tapped her foot in an agitated fashion, wondering if perhaps her mother or father had come out here looking for her. No, that can't be right. Her parents generally allowed her to do what she wanted and rarely worried about her because she usually had the Z Fighters around. And anyway, why would her parents destroy her belongings. They wouldn't.  
Her eyes narrowed as she thought of one other person who she knew who was in the Wastelands right now. Someone who wouldn't hesitate in destroying her things simply because he felt like it, and because he could. But... he would never call Bulma his friend... she glared at the man above her and tapped the baseball bat threateningly on her shoulder, her eyes burning with blue fire.

"Tell me... what does this friend of mine look like?"

Her voice was low, very different from the screeching she was doing earlier. She actually sounded almost dangerous.

He floated there in the sky, that fiery red hair whipping behind him in the ever constant wind. Watching as she seemed lost in thought, and then gaining a very eerie look about her, almost threatening to demolish him should he answer incorrectly. For someone this untrained she was truly a scary being. A very small shiver reached down his spine, eding in a tingling in his groin. Yes, she would be a fun toy to have around.

Quirking a brow he slowly descended towards the ground once more. The man landed nimbly in front of her, never taking his bright emerald eyes from her fiery blue ones

"A short male, with spiky black hair. Wearing some sort of outfit from a television show. Likes to attack people for no reason, threatening them repeatedly."

Confident with his description he nodded and a little smirk played on his lips.

"He accused me of spying before asking for the capsules I had intended on returning to you. But he took them, and crushed them into a ball of metal and that was that. None of it was worth salvaging after that."

Watching how irritated she was he was beginning to believe that perhaps they had not been friends after all.

"Am I incorrect in believing that rude man was indeed your friend? With him helping you down the mountain and all, I figured you knew him somehow."

Taking a few steps over to where that dummy of hers sat, he looked over the quality of it and grunted, fingertips touching to where she had cracked the surface. That was not bad at all for someone so un-disciplined.

"I am truly sorry that I do not have anything to return to you now."

"Vegeta..."

The Saiyan's name rolled off her tongue in a growl of barely contained disgust and malice. Gripping the baseball bat in both hands again, she strode up to the mannequin and let out a scream of frustration before smashing it to several pieces. Once there was nothing left of the dummy to smash, she rested the baseball bat on her shoulder and turned back to look at the red haired man, panting slightly, sheen of sweat on her brow.

"I shall have you know that that man is NOT my friend! He is an arrogant, self centred, condescending, aggressive, bone-headed, stupid MONKEY!"

Bulma booted a small piece of the smashed mannequin at the destroyed Capsule house causing a part of the wall to crumble and fall to the dusty floor. And to think she had actually been worried about him when he wandered off on his own and didn't say anything. How dare he destroy her things, how dare he?! She now officially had nothing out here, those Capsules were her backups should anything go horribly wrong out here. And something bad did happen.

Vegeta happened.

The way things stood, she had two choices. He could stick it out here and hope she survived with the meagre supplies she had managed to salvage, or she could go home with her tail between her legs and admit defeat. Bulma sat down on a large rock and tapped the baseball bat in a contemplative manner on the floor. She was not very good at admitting when she was wrong, so the latter was out of the question. But could she really survive out here alone?  
Alone...? No, she wasn't alone, was she. This strange red haired man was here... she was sure if he posed a threat she could deal with him, unless of course he flew away with her.

_Hmmmm..... tricky..._

Seemingly making up her mind, she stood and smiled sweetly at the red-haired man and blushed prettily.

"I am so sorry about before, I was just so frightened... and being out here all alone has been very hard on me. Especially since that Vegeta was no help and left me all alone."

She offered her hand to shake and gave him a friendly grin.

"I'm Bulma, who are you?"

He closed the gap between them, and gave her his most charming smile before gently taking her small hand into his large warm one. "

"My name is Serigon. It is a pleasure to have almost been killed by you, Bulma."

His eyes glittered in amusement as he realised that the blue haired beauty was flirting with him. This would be far easier than he had previously thought.

"Why have decided to come all the way out here by yourself? No offense, but you do not seem to be the type to survive in such an environment. I do hope that man was not your reliable source of security, it doesn't seem that he wishes to have much to do with those who are weaker than himself."

He settled himself down to sit on a large rock and smiled up at her, encouraging her to sit beside him. He himself looked the part of a traveller, with only the bare minimum on his person. His clothing was thin but looked durable, allowing him movement as well as protection from the sun. His skin was tanned a honey brown giving him the look of someone who spent most of his time outdoors, and his fiery red hair fell down to his waist.

Her smile wavered a little as Serigon questioned why she was here. Why did everyone think that she was ill-suited to be out here on her own? Just because she was a woman, and had lived a pampered and luxurious life did not mean that she couldn't be out training in the Wastelands. Not the type indeed! She took a deep breath and imagined she was out shopping with her friends. There is a beautiful red dress in front of her. It is the last one, and it is in her size. And, she has her Father's credit card. Instantly a beatific smile spread across her face and her bright blue eyes sparkled with joy.

"Well, I know I may not look the type to be out here, whatever the type may be. But I am here to train. The city is so crowded, distracting and far too close to luxury and convenience. Out here at least I can test myself, body and soul and train in peace."

She chuckled and scratched the back of her head sheepishly, her cheeks flushing a deeper shade of crimson. It would be rather easy to make herself flirt with this young man. Despite reminding her of the innocence of Goku, the man was tall and muscular and she could not help but find his hair enticingly beautiful.

"Unfortunately, it seems I haven't been doing very well so far. A dinosaur destroyed my house, I ended up losing most of my food and belongings, and Vegeta decided to throw a hissy fit and leave me out here."

She lowered her head, hiding her face behind her hair, but secretly peeking out through her mass of blue hair to watch the warrior's reaction.

"Vegeta was supposed to be my body guard. He was hired by my father to look after me, and help me with my training. But....but..."

She allowed a slight tremble to enter her voice as she dug her broken finger nails into the delicate flesh of her wrist to make tears appear in her eyes. Once the tears began to roll down her face, she looked up at Serigon and gave him the full force of her big blue eyes.

"We had an argument, and he left me. Now I don't know what to do."

He forced himself to looked saddened and concerned for the young woman, but inside he was chuckling darkly to himself. So, that bad tempered man was her body guard, which meant there was no one else out here to come to her aid.

"Really now? That is quite a bad set of circumstances. If you so wish I could probably bring you back to your home. You could restock and return a little more prepared?"  
You do seem you wish to train, anyone remotely not serious would have already found a way out of here or simply perished. If you truly wish to remain here, I would be willing to offer my assistance. After all I could use a training partner myself. Though your skin is fragile, your strength is actually quite the contrary. It is probably why you can keep head to head with the type of your frie... I mean this Vegeta person."

He gently wiped away her tears and hooked two fingers under her chin to raise her head up to look at him, and he spoke to her in a soft voice.

"There is no need to cry Miss Bulma. You are not here all by yourself. If the dinosaur and loss of your luxuries has not scared you off, then there could be hope for you yet."

Bulma felt like doing a merry little dance. This man was easier to manipulate than Yamcha had been! What luck! Just a few more well chosen words and he was as good as hers! She'd have him doing chores and running around after her every whim! Reaching up, she wiped her eyes on the backs of her hands, smudging blood and dirt onto her pretty face.

_Hmmmm..... he doesn't look to have much on him, but I suppose he'll do. He is obviously a trained fighter, and he sees my potential. Yes, I think he'll do quite nicely! _

She gave him an embarrassed smile and tucked a few strands of blue hair behind her ear. Looking down at the ground, she shuffled her feet and gave a nervous little laugh.

"I would be most grateful to you if you would be so kind as to help me. I have a favour to ask, if you would not mind granting it? If I was to go back now, I do not think my pride and..."

_what would Vegeta say? .... something about....Honour! Yes, that's it _

"Honour! My honour wouldn't be able to take the blow of having gone out into the Wastelands to train, and then come back the next day..."

She bit her lip and looked up at the warrior hopefully.

"So, I was wondering if you could go to Capsule Corporation and pick up some supplies for me from my parents? They are very kind people, and will probably pay you for your troubles. Then when you come back, we could train."

_Come on... agree... please agree! I can't let anyone else see me like this... I'd never live it down... _

"Oh, and if you see Vegeta again, just ignore him. He's really not worth the hassle."


	7. Memory of The One

Serigon gritted his teeth slightly, it had not been his intention to become the blue haired genius's little servant boy but at least it would give him chance to take a look around Capsule Corp.

"Alright then, that would be okay. Give me directions and I will make the trip and gather some things to make your stay easier, but not comfortable. Would you want me to deliver any message while I am out Miss Bulma? "

Yes she was indeed very beautiful, and of course she knew it. He smiled shyly and took on the guise of the newly smitten country boy who was experiencing his very first crush.

"When I return, we can work on your Ki control. Without it, you will not be able to advance. And I am sure you wouldn't mind being able to fly around."

Another soft smile and he gestured to the baseball bat which she still held tightly in her hands.

"You do not need any weapon, that's what your body is for Miss Bulma. I will also teach you to hunt for your food, as if you cannot harm an animal, then you would not be able to harm a human being.  
I have to admit, there is going to be a lot of work here with you. You really are a woman used to things being her way, even how you eat and sleep. But you have potential, it is obvious. I can hardly wait to see when you put your focus into actually fighting. Even when you came at me with that bat I could feel you focus, your utter determination to survive."

Bulma let out a sigh of relief as she was granted her request. She allowed herself a moment to subtly look him up and down. Yep, he'd have no problem whatsoever handling her mother. In fact, she would be surprised if Mrs Briefs didn't invite him in for tea and biscuits. Bulma's Mother had a soft spot for cute young men, just like her daughter, and could often be seen giggling girlishly when Bulma brought boyfriends home, whilst her father rolled his eyes in the background.

"No, no note is needed. Just talk about Vegeta to my mother, and she'll be happy. Although... she can be a little strange sometimes... just try not to let her embarrass you. She is a very kind woman, but her kindness can be a little... over-bearing at times."

She tried to stifle a chuckle as she imagined her mother's face as the tall, attractive red haired man walked up her garden path. She'd think that all her Christmas's and Birthday's had come at once!

"Fly?! You'll teach me to fly? Really? I have always wanted to be able to fly! I have had dreams about it; I can imagine it is a very freeing feeling. Sometimes I feel like everyone around me can do it apart from me!"

When he mentioned killing the animals with their bare hands, she felt a little bit sick. She had known that she would have to kill to eat once her food ran out, but that didn't mean that she relished the idea of taking a life. If it came to it, if someone attacked her and tried to kill her, could she kill them? To protect herself, could she take the life of another? Licking her lips nervously she nodded and sighed.

"I know I will have to harm the creature... I just don't feel too comfortable about it."

He briefly thought back to his own family for a moment, or at least what he could remember of them. He could only barely remember his mother's face, but what would his father say about him tracking this female all around? He smiled some at the thought, and the lecture he would have most likely gotten. What would they think if they saw their only son now?

"It is not all that difficult once you learn to control your Ki, you can just blast the creature and then it's all over. But we will work on that whenever I return. Direction please? I must say I have no idea where you live. I am not exactly from around this area Miss Bulma."

His mind was set on how he would try his best to be polite to her parental figures. The last thing he wanted was to be chased off Capsule Corp grounds and arrested. He took a small map from out of his back pocket and carefully unfolded it.

"Point out where I can find your home, and what are your parent's names? I want to make the right impression. If they are at all like you, I do not really want to be shot at when I land."

He moved closer to the pretty blue haired girl until their bodies were touching. He closed his eyes and resisted the urge to shiver as he thought about his prize at the end of all this.

Leaning against Serigon's arm so that she could get a better look at the map, she noted his shy expression and grinned a little to herself as she pressed her body further against his. This was almost too easy. She quirked her eyebrow at him when he asked for directions. Where the hell did this guy come from? She had told him her name, not only that, but she wore the emblem of her father's business on her jacket. Capsule Corp was the biggest and richest business in the world, and her house was practically right next door. Frowning a little, she shook her head in disbelief, and began to point out where to go on the map.

"See, if you go North out of the Wastelands, my home is not really that far away. We're right next door to Capsule Cop, see it there? It is a huge building, and there are many signs leading up to it, so you should have no problem whatsoever in finding the place. But, if you do get lost, just ask anyone either where Capsule Corp is, or where the Briefs live. You're bound to come across somebody who knows."

Bulma was getting quite excited now. When Serigon got back from her parents house, he was going to teach her how to fly! She could imagine it now, soaring above the clouds like a bird! It sounded so wonderful! And then she would be able to keep up with everyone else, they wouldn't be able to leave her behind anymore. That and she'd finally be able to rub it in Vegeta's face that she wasn't just a weakling human woman, that she could become a warrior, and a damn good one at that!

"And it's best if you just call my parents Dr and Mrs Briefs, my mother will probably insist you do otherwise, but my Father is kinda old fashioned in that respect."

He nodded and smiled softly, folding the map up and placing it back into his pocket.

"I will not be gone too long. Do try to be careful out here."

He gave her a small wave and turned, running and jumping into the air. His body floating higher and higher as he gained speed. It was not long before he was out of sight.

Bulma waved as Serigon left and once she was sure he was out of sight and ear shot, she leapt into the air and let out a crow of triumph. Things were finally looking up! She would have supplies, someone to train with her, and he would double as a bodyguard! She wondered if she would be able to persuade him to do the hunting too. Bulma hoped so, as the idea of killing and animal with her bare hands didn't seem too appealing.  
Running her hands through her damp hair, she was pleased to note that the quick wash in the stream had done it a lot of good, and wasn't as wild and uncontrollable as it had been.

"Today is going to be a good day! I can feel it! HA! Take that, Vegeta!"


	8. Who Lived Inside My Skin

Sure enough there came that city; already he could hear its roar filling the sky all around him. He lowered himself towards the streets, emerald eyes scanning over the people and the cars rushing about in all directions. A small smile played on his lips, he would enjoy spending some time in the city one day, but not quite yet.

He took that map in hand, rolling over so that the wind rushing to him was blocked by his broad back and chuckled softly. He had thought that Capsule Corp had been around that area, but he had thought it best to make sure. Folding it again he placed it back into his pocket and rolled with the wind until he saw Capsule Corp in the distance.

With a soft smirk he landed at the gate and entered the large lavish garden. He could see himself living in luxury like this, and his goal was now closer than ever.  
He rang the door bell and waited, his bright emerald eyes scanning the garden for anything of interest as he waited.

After a few moments, an older version of Bulma with blonde hair opened the door. The woman briefly looked Serigon up and down, before breaking out into a beautiful smile.

"Well, hello there! I don't think I know you, do I? Are you one of Bulma's friends? I am afraid she is not here right now. Did you know that she has gone off into those dreadful Wastelands to train to become a mighty warrior? Who would have thought it, my lovely daughter out there training to defeat the evils of this world! I am so proud!"

The woman chattered along happily, not letting Serigon get a word in edgeways even if he tried. From behind her, an older man with purple hair and a moustache walked up behind her.

"Who is it dear?"

Mrs Briefs turned and giggled at her husband and waved her hand at the red-haired man at stood on her doorstep.

"Hmmm? Oh yes, this is... erm... Sorry dear, who are you?"

A smile came to his lips and he tried to speak, but h was instantly flooded with a one sided conversation. His mouth closed abruptly and he tried to keep his temper down. Serigon simply stood there blinking as the woman never even stopped to breathe.

Finally someone came to his rescue, a voice sounded out behind the blonde haired woman.

"Hello Dr and Mrs Briefs. My name is Serigon. I met up with your daughter during her training in the wastelands. She may have fallen into a bit of trouble. But she is doing just fine now. She asked that I come to gather up some supplies. Vegeta... I think his name was... yes Vegeta came along and decided to crush most of her capsules."

He offered another friendly smile as he thought of other ways that he could get this Vegeta person into trouble. Perhaps if he insinuated that the body guard they had hired to take care of their daughter had harmed her in some way, he would be out of the picture for good.

"She is already showing great potential, and so she asked that I help in her training. If I would be able to get the things she needs, that would be great."

H e handed the list of things Bulma wanted over to the blonde haired woman with a charming smile and brushed his long red hair from his eyes.

"She said that you would know some of the stuff she means. I apologize that this is so very sudden, but she seemed very upset over the argument she had with Vegeta and wanted to simply throw herself into her training."

Mrs Briefs smiled warmly at him and took the list, before taking his wrist in her delicate little hands and dragged him inside her house.

"Oh, was she with Vegeta? That is such a relief! I was so worried those two had a permanent falling out and they weren't going to get back together. It would be such a shame, as that Vegeta is such a lovely young man!"

Dr Briefs patted his over enthusiastic wife affectionately on the shoulder and chuckled softly.

"Now, now dear. We don't know if they were a couple, in fact I very much doubt it. Now, stop playing match maker and allow our daughter to find her own way, hmmm?"

Bulma's mother pouted prettily at her husband, then turned and smiled apologetically up at Serigon.

"I'm so sorry, dear. It is so rude of me to talk about the old boyfriend in front of the new one! Would you like to come in and have a cup of tea? I baked a cake this morning if you would like some of that too?"

She handed the list to Mr Briefs who rolled his eyes and went to look for the things his daughter required. When his wife got something in her head, it was like talking to a brick wall. He could give her a long, long list of why it was obvious that Bulma and Vegeta weren't a couple, but she'd just hear whatever she wanted to hear.

As if on cue at the mention of tea and cake, Serigon's stomach grumbled it's protest and he grinned sheepishly.

"Yes, please, I would be most honoured to join you for tea. I haven't eaten today, and that certainly was a long trip."

He followed Mrs Briefs into the kitchen blocking out her mindless chatter as his sharp eyes scanned the house.

He drank and ate heartedly, enjoying as it took that growl out of his stomach.

"Mmmm, that was great Mrs. Briefs. I wonder if those supplies are ready. I have an idea that Bulma may be a bit angry if she thinks I was taking too long."

He eyed the rest of the cake hungrily, but made no movement to get himself another helping. Instead he simply watched as Bulma's energetic Mother bounced around the kitchen chattering about this and that and refilling his cup whenever it became empty. A slow grin etched across his handsome face as he imagined choking the life from her.

Mrs Briefs giggled girlishly and took his plate and cup, smiling happily, glad to have someone to fuss over whilst her daughter was away. She gave her husband a kiss on the cheek as he came back in with a case of Capsules and sat down at the table across from Serigon. Dr Briefs feigned a look of annoyance before looking lovingly up at his wife.

"Dear, I have been rather silly and have forgotten to include Bulma's tool box, and I am sure she will want it in case anything goes wrong with any of her tech. You wouldn't mind going and getting it for me, would you?"

Mrs Briefs chuckled and rolled her eyes at her husband and patted him on the shoulder.

"Oh, you silly sausage! How could you forget something like that? I'll go and get it straight away!"

She placed Serigon's empty plate and cup in the sink before scurrying off to collect the forgotten tool box. Once he was sure she was out of ear shot, Dr Briefs lent towards Serigon with a stern expression on his face.

"Do not take my wife too seriously when it comes to Bulma and Vegeta. As they have never, and hopefully never will be together. That man is a bad influence on my daughter; I blame this training rubbish purely on him. She was interested only in becoming a great inventor until he came along and started throwing his weight about. Take my advice and keep away from him."

The older man clasped his hands together and rested them beneath his chin with a sigh.

"And please take good care of my daughter. She can be a lot to handle, and is stubborn as a mule, but she has a good heart."

A few moments later, Mrs Briefs came back holding a capsule triumphantly in her hand and gave it to her husband, who slotted it into the case with the others.

"Well. Unless there's anything else, I'd say your read to go!"

Mr Briefs smiled and handed the case of Capsules over to Serigon.

..............................................................................................

It had only been fifteen minutes since Serigon had left, but already Bulma was bored. With a sigh she began to do her regular yoga exercises, as she wasn't quite ready to go through her fighting training again, and there was no way she was going to attempt those hideous press ups and sit ups again.

"I wonder what Vegeta is doing. Probably flying around smashing things.... destruction is what he's best at after all..."

For a long time, Vegeta lay upon the open expanse of earth provided to him by the Wastelands with his muscled arms tucked loosely beneath his head. His breathing was slow and regulated, rhythmically swelling his chest with his equally paced heart beat; lost in some sort of meditative trance. Time seemed to move at a snail's pace for the Prince of Saiyans, yet the world around him was shifting quickly from day into evening and now a half shaded moon was raising high into the chilled sky.

Finally, he slipped out of his state of rest, opening his eyes slowly to take in the bright, star speckled canopy of space. Unfurling arms made their way to his sides and hands grasped at the ground for support as he lifted into a sitting position. Aside from the moon and stars, it was relatively dark. His initial senses didn't feel any dangers around him and a check of his nearby Scouter confirmed that everything was safe on the makeshift home front.

After a few moments of gathering his bearings, he turned to the dry and brittle timber he acquired before his rest and set up the makings of a small campfire. His gloved hand was extended toward the standing of miscellaneous wood and emitted a pulsating glow for a second before firing off a small blast of ki energy. The logs nearly exploded but settled for roaring into a large fire immediately after being ignited.

Vegeta picked up the small Wastelands critter he managed to capture and tossed it close to the roaring flames, letting the heat cook the flesh that he personally tenderized with his fists. If he was going to stay out here in this area and complete his training, he would need to resort to such primal tasks as catching and preparing his own meals from whatever nature offered him.

It would much better suit him if he had someone to prepare his meals for him. He was royalty, after all.

Soon there existed alongside the fire a small set of bones from the critter so savagely devoured by the lone Saiyan. He stared into the flickering flames before him and picked his teeth with a single finger, mulling over the Wastelands and the remainder of his training. The only challenge he had faced so far on this adventure was sparring words with the big mouthed Bulma, who the quick thought of arose a mild frustration inside of him.

The feelings quickly subsided, knowing she was on her own way now and would hopefully be out of his hair for the remainder of his stay. He sensed that Earth could only offer little more in his training and soon, after the Briefs had finished fixing the space ship, he would be trekking across the galaxy again in search of new endeavours and encounters. Only then when he was alone, and away from the distractions of Earth would he finally reach his goal. He would be Super Saiyan. Though, it would still be for the best if he sucked what he could out of the planet before departing.

Vegeta brought his feet underneath him and slowly stood up, beginning his routine with a series of arm and leg stretches. He couldn't think of a time he ever pulled or sprained a muscle but it was still engraved into his head that stretches were mandatory—even for a First Class Saiyan warrior.

He tilted his head to the side and spotted a small rodent native to the Wastelands scurrying about in the distance. The Saiyan Prince raised his open palm in alignment with the quickly moving critter and followed it as it darted about. A small grin rose to his lips as his palm began to resonate with gathered energy that was rapidly dispersed in the form of a small beam.

His aim was impeccable. The small creature was blasted dead on and now remained as a toasted and half missing carcass seared to the ground beneath it. Vegeta chuckled quietly while lowering his arm, stopping his current fun to look up at the night sky.


	9. Staring at the Loss

Bulma was once again getting restless. She had done every exercise she could think of, and had even had another go at the dreaded press ups and sit ups. Laying on the edge of the stream, she put her hands behind her head and paddled her dainty feet in the cool water as she watched the sun set. It wasn't long before the chilly night air penetrated her fragile body and she sat up shivering, quickly pulling her feet from the now freezing water.

"I guess my mother is really keeping him talking. Poor guy, I almost feel sorry for him..."

With a sigh, she stood up and stretched out her stiff muscles, and rubbed her cold arms. The Capsule Corp jacket wasn't really designed to fight against the cold nights of the Wastelands, and she knew that the night air was only going to get colder.

"Well, there's only one thing for it.... there has to be something around here that will burn."

She wandered into the destroyed Capsule House and began sifting through the rubble for things she could safely burn. She growled in frustration, as the only thing she could find were the remains of a wooden deck chair and a few tattered books. Breaking up the chair, she piled it up and stood back to access the situation.

"That won't last me two minutes.... come on Serigon... where the hell are you?"

She crossed her arms and looked angrily up into the starry sky; he should be back by now. She bet he was sitting in her mother's nice warm kitchen eating a nice meal whilst her mother told him embarrassing stories about her childhood. With a sigh she turned and began walking in a random direction. There had to be some old branches lying around somewhere, she could collect them up and go back to camp. If Serigon came back before she did, he could sense ki, so he'd be able to find her easily enough. Bulma hummed a happy little tune to try and keep her spirits up and ignore the cold. Her fingers were going numb as they wrapped around the now stone cold bits of wood she found here and there. It wasn't long before she realised she'd wandered a little too far away from the camp.

"Don't panic girl. Just follow your tracks back, you'll be fine."

Looking at the pathetic amount of wood she was carrying, she hung her head and groaned.

"But I can't go back yet, got to keep going."

As he looked to the stars, he began to seek out signs of the other planets in the galaxy. A misplaced feeling of being lost washed over him as he stared blankly; somehow failing to find what the purpose of his constantly intense training was for. It had been ages since he had seen or heard of Kakarot and no longer had him to base his competition upon. The entire situation of things momentarily seemed fruitless but that inherited Saiyan pride soon began to swell and throb within him.

Vegeta shook his head a few times. At his side, his bare hands raised slightly as his muscles began to tense in his forearms and biceps. Strong fingers stretched out as far as they could before coiling into his welcoming palms, tightening into a set of powerful fists. He could feel his abdomen firming along the lines of his defined muscles as his body steadily started to shake with a rising power.

Thick veins bulged along the lengths of his strengthened arms and pumped visibly underneath the skin of his neck. Vegeta's bare chest started glistening with perspiration from the nearby fire as well as the physical strain he forced himself to endure, accentuating the heavy set of tale telling battle scars that streaked his upper torso.

A faint veil of electricity sparked from the ground and ran like a current up his body, dispersing once it reached the very tip of his radical hair. A swirl of dust and rock fragments accumulated at his planted feet and steadily lifted from the ground with the uprising of wind whipping around him. Vegeta clenched his teeth and growled lowly as he attempted to summon the full amount of his power.

Crackles of energy continued to ride his body until the beckoned wave of energy came to his call and completely overwhelmed him. Like a bomb going off, an enormous blue aura of ki exploded around Vegeta and resounded with a deafening boom that shook the Wastelands for miles, mirrored by the warrior's own tremendous battle cry that roared above all sound. Nearby plateaus and earthen structures shook and shifted while the ground immediately under the Prince was completely torn apart.

The surging energy was like a paradise of its own, granted he was only able to relish in its perfection for mere moments before it dissipated. Vegeta's hair ceased to uncontrollably flail and his muscles dropped into a forced relaxation. The legs he stood so defiantly on ultimately buckled and he crashed onto his knees, falling forward onto his hands for support. He fought to catch his breathing during the aftermath, also noticing that small pools of darkened blood seeped into the dirt beneath his palms. It was apparent he clenched his fists too tightly, though he didn't and still didn't feel the pain.

He blinked a few times before weariness conquered him, falling face first into the ground with a thud and passing out into unconsciousness due to his extreme exhaustion.

The tired human woman was shivering so violently that her entire body was encompassed in a dull throbbing ache. Her bare feet shuffled across the dusty, broken ground. They were so numb with the cold that she could no longer feel the cut and bruised flesh. Her arms that held the pitiful amount of wood were stiff and aching, she was so cold that she could barely move her fingers.  
Bulma was about to give up and go back to the camp, when the ground beneath her began to tremor slightly. The air became thick and heavy with a familiar energy which flexed and slowly began to rise in power. Usually, she could not sense Ki, in fact she often thought that her senses were dead to it, but the power was so strong she could not help but be drawn to it.

The Earth woman could taste her own fear thick on her tongue as she edged ever closer to a small forest of rocks jutting out of the ground. Beyond them she could catch glimpses of glimmers of light through the spaces in between the large boulders of stone. She was about to make her way of the rocks, when a thunderous roar broke out, and everything around her descended into madness.

The ground shook violently, forcing her off her feet and thrusting her face into the dusty cracked ground. With a shriek, she rolled quickly out of the way as the rocks shattered and fell around her. Shaken and bloody, she crawled from beneath the carnage and looked around in fear and foreboding. Her hand flew to her mouth in shock as she saw Vegeta unconscious, laying face down in a crater.  
Scrambling to her feet, she ran towards the crater, sliding down its crumbling, craggy walls towards the unmoving Saiyan.

"Vegeta? Vegeta?! What happened? Vegeta!"

She grabbed hold of his shoulders and pulled as hard as she could, steadily rolling the warrior onto his back.

"What the hell do you think you were doing, you stupid, stupid man! Get up! I order you to get up!"

She shook him roughly before pulling one of the water bottles from her rations from her pocket and splashing some of it on his face.

He was unresponsive to her shaking and his head shifted from side to side idly in accordance to his body's movements. Vegeta still breathed, though, as seen in how his chest continued to rise and fall with each lungful of needed oxygen.

When she splashed the water on his face, his closed eyes clenched a couple of times in recognition of the wet annoyance. Finally, his consciousness began to stir and he was awakened from his foolish stupor, weakly opening his eyes to behold the aquamarine haired Bulma cradling him.

He couldn't find the words to question what she was doing or the strength to scowl and bark, so he would only lay there for the next passing moments until he could gather the proper energy to sit alert. Vegeta swallowed hard and closed his eyes to resume resting but wouldn't allow his body the time it required, forcing his self to partially sit up.

"I am.. the Prince of Saiyans.." he weakly grumbled, pausing a second to swallow before continuing. "I am supposed.. to be the strongest."

Vigor was slowly returning to his limbs the more he retained consciousness. His arms quivered wildly as they were initially pressed to bear his own weight, moving to separate the hold Bulma had around him was a rough task and he barely managed it.

He looked over his bare skin and noticed considerable scuffing from the fall, accompanied by a second layering of dust and shallowly embedded rocks. Vegeta inspected the inside of his palms that were marked by the broken indentations of his own fingertips, caked with dried blood all within his hands.

The royal Saiyan had attempted to push his limits too far and the results weren't as great as expected.

Bulma scowled as she was pushed away and sighed softly as the proud warrior tried to mobilize on his own weakened strength alone. It had been said on a numerous occasions by a number of people that they were alike in their stubborn nature, but it was only in moments like these when she actually saw any truth in their words.  
Putting one slim arm around his broad shoulders, and gripping one thick wrist with a delicate hand, she tried to help him into a more stable sitting position. Her body was tensed up, prepared to be swatted away again, but she was determined to help, despite his pride and stubbornness.

"I know you are, Vegeta... you never let me forget for one moment. But even royalty needs help sometimes, and I won't tell if you won't."

Moving slowly and steadily, she slid her hand up his arm, and lay the palm of her other hand flat between his shoulder blades. Once she was sure she could aid him in sitting and move at the same time, she shuffled behind him, and sat down, pressing her back against his. The small human female tensed her entire body, bracing herself against his greater weight. Gritting her teeth, she dug her heels into the ground and grasped the dry earth with her broken finger nails. Sometimes she didn't know why she bothered with the prideful man, but she knew that she couldn't leave him in this condition, no matter what he said about being the strongest.

"What were you doing, Vegeta? What if an enemy had come along and found you like that? I doubt very much they would have woken you first before challenging you to fight. Stop pushing yourself so hard. Train as much as you want to, but flaunting your power recklessly is just foolish..."

Vegeta was currently experiencing a lapse in history, feeling as though he has had this conversation before with Bulma about the exact same subject. He wouldn't get stronger unless he pushed himself to the next level, always.

Shaking off the effects of the déjà vu, he only grunted in response to her questioning but did allow her to aid him in sitting up. His body remained immobile even after she sat down behind him with her back against his, choosing the more important option of reserving his energy instead of pointlessly arguing with her.

He had this awkward feeling that he was stuck with her company whether he wanted it or not.

For the longest time, he sat in silence and failed to acknowledge Bulma with a response to her prying. However, Vegeta slouched forward a bit to ease some of his weight off of her once he found the energy to. His damaged hands laid restlessly in the lap of his outstretched legs, half cocked in an Indian style manner.

"I have to be the strongest to face whatever may come," he mumbled quietly, carried by a voice that was hoarse and tired from his escapades. The roar of the fire had dwindled quite a bit from the chaos he caused but it still burned lowly, surely to be easily rekindled with the addition of more dry wood.

"Go sit by the fire. I don't need help."

He could feel the body heat she was lacking and realized that it was rather cold outside, for a human woman anyway. Leaning to the side, he slid his legs beneath his frame and forced himself onto his feet, fighting his knees from giving out almost immediately. His legs locked in his stance and kept him stable as he stood, finishing off his stubborn look by crossing his arms over his chest and looking at Bulma with a side glance.

Bulma sighed heavily, and allowed her head to briefly fall back against Vegeta's broad back. Closing her eyes, she counted slowly backwards from ten to stop the scathing comment from escaping her throat. He really was impossible sometimes, and yet here she was, determined to help in any way she could.

_I must be mad..._

Raising her head slowly, she turned a little and flicked her bright blue eyes to the side so she could see the curve of the Saiyan's shoulder and the back of his bowed head. She allowed some of the tension to leave her body as Vegeta took some of the pressure off by slouching his heavy body slightly. Bulma was tired, too tired to shout, and too tired to argue, but she could not help but be worried by his words.

"You don't always have to be the strongest, Vegeta. But it doesn't really matter what I say, you're going to walk your own path regardless."

So used to her tensed stance and the feel of the heavy body behind her, Bulma almost fell backwards when Vegeta moved to stand up, but she gripped the ground tightly, and saved herself the embarrassment of falling back in the dirt. Remembering the wood she had dropped as she slid down into the crater, she carefully gathered it up, and placed the bottle of water back in her jacket pocket. Too tired to feign strength or even keep up her prideful banner of not needing anyone, she staggered to her feet with a whimper and climbed steadily out of the crater.

The brief warmth she had gathered from sitting close to the Saiyan had woken up her stiff numb body, and now it was aflame with aches and pains. Bulma shuffled to the small camp fire and placed a few of the branches she had brought upon it and poked at it with a long thin stick to make the flames leap higher. Huddling deep into her jacket she shuffled closer to the heat, and watched the Saiyan through the dancing flames.


	10. Looking For the Cause

The sun had now set in the distance and still he pressed forward. All this flying was taking its toll on him, yet still his energy remained. Snapping out of his fast paced speed he fell towards the ground, allowing his ki to slow his fall into a precise landing. He frowned as he landed beside he wrecked capsule house, as Bulma was nowhere to be found. His lip curled in a snarl of displeasure and he was about to shoot off into the air again, when his bright emerald eyes widened and looked in the direction of a rapidly rising power level.

He was just in time to bring arms forward, covering his face and attempting to shut out the sudden wave of wind and debris. If memory served him well it seemed that it was the arrogant man, Vegeta's power causing the turmoil. As the energy subsided, his muscled arms unfurled and dropped again to his sides. He spat on the ground and grunted, having that body guard around made things complicated, it was time he went and found out what was going on. He leapt into the air and began to fly towards where he had felt the greater power burst forth.

As he neared, he could feel another energy, flickering softly under the feral fury of Vegeta's. He recognised the soft almost weak energy as Bulma. So, the princess had decided to go out on her own, perhaps he had taken far too long after all. He cursed under his breath as he came to that scene, watching as the wild haired man stood staring at the blue haired woman sat a few feet from him, poking at the make shift fire place.

With clenched fists and his mouth set in a grim line, he slowly lowered himself a few feet away from the pair. Hid emerald eyes sparkled in the glow of the fire as he took in Vegeta's condition. He smirked and chuckled softly to himself, with the arrogant man in his current state he was far less worried about him.

His voice echoed over the sounds of crackling wood, in a friendly manner, but he had a biting, spiteful edge to his voice.

"I see you two have found each other again. Your parents send their wishes Miss Blulma, and I have everything that you asked for."

He reached into the satchel at his side, and removed the container of capsules his eyes flickered over to Vegeta before smiling warmly at Bulma and holding them out to her.  
His eyes scanned the battered Vegeta once more and he could not help openly smirking at the man.

"I had thought you were one of the strongest men I had ever come across, Vegeta. But seeing you now has made me think that perhaps I was wrong. To leave yourself so vulnerable is not all that wise after going around threatening people, when you have no idea of their power or ability..."

Serigon softened his barely concealed threat with a warm, sunny smile, but his eyes were hard and gleamed with malice.

Bulma jumped a little with a surprised yelp when Serigon suddenly landed near them. She slowly let out a relieved sigh and raised her head from the warmth of her jacket and gave Serigon a sunny smile.

"Ah! There you are! I am sorry I left the camp, but it became so cold and I went in search of firewood."

Bulma bit her lip as she concentrated on standing without staggering, then focused on walking over to Serigon without limping or falling over. Showing weakness in front of Vegeta was enough, she wasn't going to wince or stagger in front of Serigon as well. She took the case and opened it to see how many there was before nodding and placing the case in the pocket of her jacket.

"Thank you very much for getting these for me, Serigon. I really appreciate it. I do hope that my Mother didn't give you too much trouble?"

Managing to walk back to the fire without shuffling or staggering and plonked herself back down next to the fire, sighing contentedly as she was once again engulfed in the welcoming heat.  
She was about to open one of the Capsules which she knew contained food when she heard Serigon speaking to Vegeta. Her bright blue eyes widened in shock, tinged with fear for the red haired warrior. Was he threatening him?

Bulma knew that she could get away with it to some degree, they had known each other for so long, and they knew which buttons to press and which to leave the hell alone. Serigon however, well... Vegeta didn't play nice with strangers.  
Bulma shuffled to the side and glared at Serigon and beckoned wildly for him to come and sit beside her, not quite sure what Vegeta would do in the condition he was in.

"hahahahahaha! Serigon is so funny, isn't he Vegeta? Of course he knows you're absolutely fine and completely capable. You are the Prince of all Saiyan's after all!"

Once Serigon was close enough, she grabbbed his wrist and pulled him down to hiss in his ear.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?! He'll take that as a challenge, you idiot!"

The red haired warrior carefully hid his malicious smirk as he was pulled down next to the blue haired beauty and took the opportunity to snuggle close to her and wrap one arm around her waist.

"A challenge? I was simply stating a fact."

He did not bother to lower his voice, and even slid his bright eyes over to look at the exhausted man. he took off his own jacket and placed it around Bulma's shoulders.

"I do apologize for it taking so very long, but your parents can be a bit too accommodating. I can see why you seem so, sheltered at times."

He chuckled and rubbed his hands, placing them close to the fire before cocking his head to one side and looking rather puzzled.

"What's a Saiyan?"

Her small hand tightened on Serigon's wrist, and her fingernails dug into his flesh. Bright blue eyes widened further, glistening with shock and fear for the man in front of her. Licking her lips nervously, she slid her eyes quickly over to look at Vegeta before pulling Serigon closer and wrapping one dainty hand around his flame red tresses. With a soft, yet angry growl she gave his hair a sharp tug before hissing furiously in his ear.

"Are you stupid? Were you dropped on your head as a child? Are you bloody retarded?"

Bulma took a deep breath and counted back from ten in a low whisper, trying to gather her thoughts as she glared at the red haired man in front of her. She did not need to look at Vegeta to know he was probably angry. She could feel his bubbling energy behind her, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

"Look, you're really best off not commenting on Vegeta's current condition. And keep your voice down! All you're doing is digging a deeper hole for yourself, one which Vegeta will gladly bury you in if you keep this up!"

In her worry for the gullible young warrior, she had completely forgotten that due to heightened Saiyen hearing, the arrogant Prince could probably hear every word she was saying, so it wouldn't really matter how quietly Serigon spoke. Lowering her head to rest on the warrior's shoulder she groaned softly, how did she get herself into these messes?

A small smile graced her lips as she felt the coat being wrapped around her. Along with the heat of the fire, she was starting to feel a little bit better. He was a good man, and it seemed like he was about to have a very bad day.

"Try not to say anything else so foolish... and I believe Vegeta is the best person to tell you about Saiyans. If of course he is up to telling you after what you insinuated."

Vegeta was half turned away from the red headed male as he landed near the glowing fire, though he sensed him coming from afar—even in his weakened condition. Bulma's predictions were true and the mighty Saiyan did pick up the foul insults that bubbled carelessly from Serigon's mouth.

In an uncontrollable fit of rage, his body seemed to fly into an aggressive autopilot bent on the self preservation of his pride. Vegeta's wounded and bloody hand was flipped upright and his stained palm was pointed directly at the still unknown man. Within the possessive curl of his fingertips, a small ball of energy began to accumulate and continued to steadily swell as words of anger exploded from him.

"I won't be spoken to by such a weakling! Say one more word to me and I won't leave enough left of you for the scavengers to find!"

The warmth of the rising flames between them even appeared cold in Vegeta's sharpened eyes, which were narrowed tightly on Serigon as Bulma scolded him for his carelessness.

Yes, he is the Prince of Saiyans and currently wasn't a very happy one.

The excessively proud warrior gave one quick look to Bulma, who was currently closely cuddled with the wanderer he caught before. He already didn't like the man before this encounter and now he only had another reason to add to his increasingly growing list. In his glowering stare was a look of warning meant for the young woman, obviously not approving of the company she kept. There was a wrenching feeling in his gut as he looked upon the man and woman in each other's arms. He didn't understand it, all he knew was he didn't like it.

Vegeta wasn't responsible for what happened to Bulma if she sided against him. She knew the consequences of such irreverence.

"Keep your dog on his leash."

The gathered energy in his palm was extinguished by his enclosing fingers as his hand tightened into a sore fist. Without another word, he turned away from the warmth of the fire and from Bulma and her pet, stepping from the destruction and into the darkness where the light wouldn't reach. In the depths of the shadows, he found a quiet place where he set down to rest, nearly collapsing from fatigue in doing so.

He didn't give second chances very often. It was remarkable that the red headed pest was already on his third. Vegeta quietly swore on his pride and honour that it would be the last one given to him, whether Bulma was there or not.

Bulma's entire body was rigidly tensed throughout Vegeta's enraged speech. Despite knowing that the Saiyan wasn't as vicious and intent on relentlessly killing as he was when she first encountered him, she was still surprised when he let the red haired warrior live. When the proud Saiyan had held up the ball of deadly Ki, the fragile human woman had thought that it was all over. She was sat pretty damn close to the loud mouthed male, so if Vegeta had decided to end his life, it would have probably been the end of hers as well. Her eyes never left him for one second, watching with wide eyed fear and a glimmer of awe. Bulma had the look of one who had been happily watching the tiger in its cage, until she realised that the bars were no longer there.

She let out the breath she hadn't realised she had been holding in short ragged gasps, and tightened her grip on Serigon's hair. He had spared him, and her. She had caught the warning look and swallowed hard. The human female was beginning to wonder if her new pet was more of a liability than a bonus. If he made a habit of pissing off beings capable ripping off his head with their pinky finger, then no amount of training was going to save her.

Bulma could feel her anger curl in the pit of her stomach like a coiled snake ready to strike. She slide narrowed blue eyes with the flames from the fire dancing in their midst to glare at the foolish warrior. She swiftly stood, yanking sharply on Serigon's hair as she did so. With a flick of her wrist, she let go of his hair, putting enough force into the thrust of her arm to fling him back and away from her.

"Do you have any idea how close you just came to being incinerated?! You have to be the most foolish person I have ever come across. Even if you don't know what a Saiyan is, one look at that man should be enough to tell you not to piss him off! Just because the wolf is injured, doesn't mean it won't fucking bite you!"

She ripped the coat from around her shoulders and slammed it into the ground to try and release some of her anger. Despite the fact that Vegeta could probably make mince meat out of the red haired man, if she attacked Serigon she doubted she'd last very long.

_  
I should have brought the baseball bat..._

Bulma thrust her fingers into her long teal hair and tugged at it in frustration, the small sharp pains making her grimace.

"What the hell am I doing... being out here with you two is like being stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea."

She paced angrily back and forth, not even looking at the red haired warrior at her feet. The genius inventor was at a loss of what to do. Even though she didn't agree with Vegeta's methods, she understood why he was angry. Hell, she became furious when accused of being weak, and she was nowhere near as strong as the mighty Saiyan warrior. With a sigh, she looked over to where the proud Saiyan Prince had disappeared and shook her head.

_  
There'll be no dealing with him after this..._

Turning to Serigon, her face was blank, but she allowed all her fury to fill her bright blue eyes making them glimmer eerily in the firelight.

"I do not know if I would consider Vegeta a friend, and I know he most definitely does not consider me one. But I have known him a long time, and despite our differences, I have a lot of respect for him. So I would watch your tongue."

Serigon smirked and looked up towards Vegeta without true worry. Regardless of how strong he was, in this state, the red haired male didn;t think that the Saiyan would be able to do much against his now superior strength.

Forgetting himself for a moment, he snarled in anger as Bulma wrenched his hair and tossed him like a rag doll. He had not been expecting that, the blue haired minx was stronger than she looked. Gazing up into her angry blue eyes, he realised that perhaps he had gone too far. Time to try and salvage what he could of his hard work.

Once again wearing the mask of the innocent country boy, he stared up at Bulma, looking rather confused about the whole ordeal.

"I had said nothing insulting. Just because I pointed out the truth doesn't mean I intended to insult him. He is injured, and he threatened me earlier. If I had bad intentions, then this could be a very nasty situation for Vegeta. Especially when he has such a beautiful woman to take care of. How is he supposed to do that effectively in this state?"

He shrugged and smiled gently, running his fingers through his long red hair and looking over to where the proud Saiyan had disappeared.

"I'll go and apologise to him, I have a senzu bean so perhaps a peace offering is in order?"

He slowly stood and moved past Bulma, his footsteps silent on the cold earth as he made his way slowly over to the brooding Saiyan Prince. The firelight shined brightly against his back, casting his face in shadows so no one saw the sinister little smile that played on his lips. what he carried in his pocket looked like a senzu bean and tasted like a senzu bean, but Vegeta wouldn't be getting up again after eating it.

Knowing how to pander to someone's ego, the red haired man lowered himself down onto one knee and slowly pulled the pouch which contained the bean out of his pocket. With a friendly little smile, he offered the bag to Vegeta.

"Here, I did not mean to be rude, please take this as a sort of peace offering."

The Prince was poised with his back against a large rock and his legs spread out before him, slouching lazily to conserve and regain his energy. His head was hung low when the fiery headed wanderer began to approach him, keeping his face hiden in the shadows—along with the sadistic smirk that slowly began to grow.

The man had been warned and Vegeta was tired of talking.

Although tired from the rapid expenditure of his ki from earlier, the thrill of an oncoming fight completely overwhelmed his senses, invigorating the part of him that was so worn out from his lack of battle.

The closer Serigon walked into Vegeta's shadows, the easier it would be for him to feel the rise in power level associated with the Saiyan. Still, he made no movement as his prey drew closer, feigning ignorance even as he kneeled before him and offered forth a Senzu bean.

Without raising his gaze, Vegeta quickly lifted his hand and swatted the measly gift bag out of Serigon's grasp. Almost instantly afterward, a near invisible fist rocketed forward with incredible speed directly for the man's open stomach, a connection that sent the pitiful human sailing back toward the fire's warm embrace.

From his position on the ground, Vegeta slowly ascended into the air through means of well controlled flight. He returned to the earth on his feet, now, and began to stride back into the light with his clenched fists prepared to deal some pain.

"I thought I told you, fool. The bratty woman even told you,"

And with that being said, he glanced to Bulma again. His charismatic arrogance seemed to bring out the best in him and he even appeared to be in top form, moving as if he hardly wasted any of his precious energy when trying to break his limits.

"I'll show you what a Saiyan is truly like."

Serigon's hands had shot forward in a vain attempt to block the punch, but his finger tips merely scrabbled at the Saiyan's thick wrist. He landed heavily on his back with a groan and lay gasping in the dirt, clutching his battered stomach. Rising slowly, he brushed himself off and staggered forward a few steps, refusing to look weak and back down in front of Bulma. He would have her...

His gaze looked up towards Vegeta, burning with defiance.

"If you really wish to fight, then I will not back down."

He sneered and keeping his bright emerald eyes on the angry Saiyan, he stalked over to where he saw the little bag had landed and quickly retrieved it.  
Although Vegeta was battered and bruised, Serigon found it amazing and interesting that the energy pulsing from his scarred body was still frighteningly powerful.

He quickly moved into a defensive stance and watched Vegeta with narrowed eyes, waiting to see what his next move would be. He couldn't be seen as the one to strike first, if he lost Bulma's trust then the plan would be ruined.

Bulma rolled her eyes and groaned as she watched the human male approach the volatile Vegeta. He really was the most foolish man she had ever come across, and she had met more than her fair share in her time. With a sigh of utter frustration, she dragged the coat to the edge of the fire and sat down with a huff. Vegeta was probably just going to frighten the red haired male and send him on his way; it probably wouldn't descend into anything more serious. Hopefully the human warrior would take the hint and leave with his tail between his legs. It was a shame really, as he had to be the easiest male to manipulate since Yamcha.

Flipping open the case of Capsules, she brought out one in which she was sure contained food and tossed it to the ground. There was a loud popping noise, and a poof of smoke, and suddenly there was a large crate stood where the Capsule had landed. Opening the box with a huge grin on her face, she clapped her hands in delight to see enough food to last her at least two weeks. When it came to things like this, her mother never failed her. She had even thought to put a first aid kit in there as well.

_It's a good thing she did too... as it looks like Serigon might be needing it soon..._

She winced and bit her lip as Vegeta swatted the bag containing the senzu bean from out of Serigon's hand. Well, at least the red haired man had tried, despite any attempts to befriend the angry Saiyan being futile. She was about to call Serigon away, when the red haired warrior was sent flying through the air. Bulma's eyes widened in surprise. Vegeta must have gotten faster, as she barely saw him move.

_Leave.... get up and leave... come on, Serigon... it's not worth your life..._

The human woman watched aghast as Serigon got up and faced the angry Saiyan Prince. Did this man have a death wish? There was only one thing for it, she'd have to intervene.

Running towards the two warriors, she stood between them both, holding her arms wide to keep them apart. She then turned pleading eyes on the Saiyan Prince.

"Vegeta... that's enough now. You have proved your superior strength in that one move. He is not a worthy opponent, look at him! He won't last two minutes! If you continue this, he might die, and I know you don't really want that!"

Bulma then turned eyes of blue flame on Serigon.

"And as for you... I would get going. Your foolish tongue will only get us both killed."

Vegeta snarled at the red haired man and felt his energy crackling around him. He welcomed it, breathing in deeply he took in the scent of fear and anger that was now all around him. The scent of battle.

"You are nothing but a fool. Who would ever think such a pathetic weakling would dare stand in defiance against a mighty Prince? I've seen this woman put up more of a fight than you ever would."

Vegeta continued his predator's approach on Serigon until the narrowed vision he held on his prey was severed by Bulma's flushed countenance. He didn't really hear the exact words that spilled from her mouth but from the look gracing her face and the restraining hand that pressed against his scarred chest, he easily deciphered she was trying to save a life.

Slowly, his stone cold eyes fixated on and held the image of the woman before him. His facial features hardened into a displeased look, immediately questioning why she would so carelessly jump into the warpath of a Saiyan known for his bad attitude and short temper. She was either considerably more brave than he gave her credit for, or she was as foolish as the man who was about to be crushed.

His lips curled into a soured scowl, showing signs of restraining his immense anger that flowed from him like a raging waterfall.

"Get the hell out of my way, woman."

Vegeta's voice was kept low and quiet, his frustration clearly evident in its growl. The heavy beat of his heart vibrated through his heated chest to her hand, pumping a massive amount of blood throughout his veins in anticipation of the beating to come.

What she had said was true, though. Serigon was nowhere near in Vegeta's league and would easily be felled in a few short moments by his superior fighting skills and incredible strength. It would be very likely that the man wouldn't even land a hit upon the Saiyan warrior.

A hand snaked its way to Bulma's wrist and grasped a light hold on it, steadily pushing her hand from the expanse of his chest until she was no longer holding him back. Vegeta didn't particularly want to cause her harm, although she often wore his patience thin and was overall a pain in his ass. After all, it was her and her unbearable parents that helped to integrate him into Earth's society and gave him a place to stay when he had none.

The more he thought about it, the more she appeared to be a weakness to him. She would be a soft spot of sorts, if his skin wasn't as thick as steel. It was something he wasn't at all used to and it was relatively frustrating.

"This idiot seems anxious to see the afterlife. I wouldn't be a good host if I didn't give him what he wanted."

He then shifted to the side and looked over Bulma's shoulder at the red haired man.

"You there, with the woman's hair! You could save me the energy of killing you by running yourself off a cliff. It would save you the embarrassment of being beaten into a bloody pulp before the eyes of a woman!"

Now, the Saiyan's smug grin reappeared on his lips. The kindling rage within him was dulled only by the pleasure he was taking from dealing insults. However, if he didn't heed Bulma's advice, there was still a good chance he wouldn't be able to walk away from the Wastelands in one piece. It wasn't beyond the Prince's strength to tear a human limb from limb, and they weren't fortunate enough to be gifted with the ability of regeneration like the Namekians were.

_"You've already let him get away with too much, idiot. If only this stupid woman wasn't here, he would already be dead."_

Even his own thoughts were angry with him.

Despite the fear she felt, Bulma stood firm, her knees locking into place so that she stood tall and defiant and her head held high. The only thing that showed her fear was her shaking hand that was pressed up against the Saiyan Prince's chest. If she turned and ran now, would she be saved? Would the red haired man behind her be able to stop the demon before her? No, she couldn't run. If she did, then more than one soul would die tonight. She stared up into the cold black eyes of the man before her and narrowed her own blue eyes, showing her displeasure.

"No. I am staying right here. And I will not be ordered around like some peasant!"

A shiver ran down her spine as she glared up at the enraged Saiyan, and a flicker of worry glimmered in the depths of her blue eyes. Bulma did not want an argument, not whilst he was like this, but she was not going to stand down either. Even the beat of his heart nearly crumbled her resolve as it vibrated steadily through her hand and down her arm. Everything about him was fierce, hard as steel and feral.

And she was in his way.

Bulma swallowed hard and only just managed to hide her flinching reaction as Vegeta took hold of her wrist. She tensed her body, awaiting the coming pain but it didn't happen. He held her fragile wrist almost gently, and steadily pushed her hand away from his chest. He had not hurt her. He never did. This was something that she still had trouble understanding. Even in the depths of his most ferocious rages, he always had the sense of mind to be careful around her. Maybe she could save the stupid human male yet.

As he shifted to the side to fling yet more insults at the red haired warrior, Bulma's mouth set into a grim line and her eyes held a determined light.

_Oh no you don't...._

The small human woman moved so that she was in front of the arrogant Saiyan Prince once more and laid her other hand on his chest. She pressed her hand against him, as if to push him back, even though she knew the man wouldn't move an inch. She stood up on her tip toes to speak softly in Vegeta's ear so that Serigon wouldn't hear her.

"Ok... I admit it... I have been an idiot. I came out here with little to no preparation and thought I could stomach being out here alone and could train myself to fight. Obviously, I was wrong. So, I found that guy. He is gullible and easy to manipulate, I thought he was perfect for my needs, but once again, I was wrong. He is foolish and a liability."

She paused for a moment as she grimaced and fought the urge to take back everything she had just said. Bulma Briefs was never wrong! She was the closest thing to perfection on this planet! What a ridiculous notion that she could ever be wrong! Swallowing her pride, she leaned up to speak in Vegeta's ear once more.

"Despite him being one of the most irritating, sickly sweet, innocent minded, gullible men I have ever met in my entire life, I do not want him to die. He has caused you great insult, and I know that your pride demands that you beat him to a bloody pulp. But will you be able to stop yourself?"

Bulma moved slightly so that she could look at Vegeta's face, moving back a little to give him his space and allow him to think about what she had said. But she kept her hand firmly on his chest. Still speaking low enough that only Vegeta's Saiyan hearing could hear, she continued.

"I will make him leave. Force him out into the Wastelands as far away from you as he can possibly get."

She then gestured to the large crate full of food.

"There is enough food in there to last me at least two weeks. I shall take enough to last me a week and leave the rest for you. I will leave you alone and go to finish what I started. But, if I move away from you... If I turn my back, will that weak human die?"

Serigon clenched his fists in frustration as he felt fear welling up deep inside him. He realised that even as injured as he was, Vegeta was still far stronger, and if Bulma wasn't here, he'd probably be dead by now. The plan must go forward, but he had no desire to die. He would just have to finish what he had started another time

"Flaunt your powers as you will in front of her. I said nothing to regret.. I have grown tired of watching you stomp around here like a child that has had a toy taken from him. Saiyan, Prince, powerful warrior... I have begun to question my first thoughts of you. You seem no more than a tantrum throwing bull."

His energy swelled inside him, engulfing his body in a thin red aura. No more time to waste here, he knew that if he did not leave soon, he would not be leaving with his life. He felt sick to his stomach and a sheen of sweat glistened on his brow. He had never run from a fight before, and he knew the consequences of his actions, but it was time to run.  
He leapt suddenly into the air on a burst of power and flew up into the night sky, the light from the small camp fire faded from him and soon his aura faded from view.

Try as Bulma might, the feeble human woman wouldn't have been able to hold back the ferocious Vegeta had he completely desired to act on his raging bloodlust. It wasn't the woman's soft words that quelled his anger or the faint physical action between the two, but merely the sight of Serigon fleeing from the Saiyan and his might. In fact, like normal, Bulma's words fell on deaf ears of disinterest, considering the warrior's attention was focused elsewhere.

When Vegeta slipped to the side to try and get a better view, she mimicked his movements and blocked him once again. Although, she was shorter than him and he could see over her without problem, it was still pretty annoying.

Eventually, she backed away and provided him with personal space, yet he didn't reciprocate the inquiring look she was giving him. Soon, the other 'woman' with red hair was out of sight and the lingering feeling of an oncoming fight soon died with him. The Saiyan Prince's mood quickly soured, as he would have greatly preferred benefiting his training by beating the fool into dust.

Without looking at Bulma, he spoke to her.

"Woman, if you were serious about your training, you will meet me at Kami's Lookout as soon as you can."

The Saiyan didn't necessarily say that he would train her personally because he still believed that would be a lost cause. He merely hoped she would learn a thing or two by watching him in action.

Vegeta stepped forward and placed a calmed hand on Bulma's shoulder as he passed her by, making way to the large crate of food. He knelt and rummaged through all sorts of edible delicacies, yet he took only a bright red apple. The flesh of the apple was firm and crunched when the recovering fighter bit into it, devouring the fruit in only a few bites.

"Don't ask any questions. Just do as I say."

His back remained to her when he spoke. Vegeta extended his arm to the side and let the destroyed apple core fall to the ground from his palm. With nothing further to say, he put a single foot forward and then blasted off into the air, fracturing the fragile earth below him and leaving a massive dust cloud in his wake.

Bulma looked behind her in shock and relief as the red haired warrior fled from the dangerous situation he had gotten himself into. She suddenly felt safer, knowing that the fight had been stopped and that Vegeta was unlikely to fly off the handle again. Not for a while anyway. With a sigh she moved fully away from the now calmed Saiyan, and was about to give him a good telling off for the 'Bratty Woman' comment when he told her to meet him at Kami's Lookout as soon as she could. Bulma frowned and crossed her arms in mild annoyance as he did not explain further and merely occupied himself with rooting through the crate of food.  
And then he was gone, blasting off into the night sky, leaving nothing but a cloud of dust behind in his wake. Bulma choked and coughed, trying desperately to dust the sand and dirt from her hair. With an enraged scream, she began throwing rocks up into the air where Vegeta had disappeared.

"BLOODY SAIYANS! BEING CRYPTIC DOES NOT MAKE YOU FUCKING INTERESTING!"

With another frustrated scream, she dropped her tired body down next to the dying fire and pouted moodily, staring into the depths of the flames.

"Bulma?"

The woman looked up upon hearing a familiar voice. She stood on shakey legs and stepped away from the fire, but was careful not to step away from its protective circle of light.

"Papa...?"

The lavender haired inventor walked into the firelight and gave his dishevelled daughter a friendly wave. Looking at her appearance, he sighed inwardly, but smiled.

"How are you doing out here, Bulma dear? I must admit, I was a little worried when that young man, Serigon I believe his name was, came to collect more supplies when I was sure you had taken plenty with you. And then when I heard that Vegeta was around..."

Her father's face became stern and he crossed his arms in disapproval.

"Well... I thought I'd better come and make sure you weren't being dragged into anything dangerous. Also... I was wondering if you were ready to come home yet? Your Mama misses you terribly. Come on, Bulma. You're an inventor, not a warrior."

Bulma was ready to defy her father and demand that he allow her to stay out in the Wastelands, but her bottom lip quivered and her bright blue eyes became watery. With a wail she threw herself into her father's arms.

"Oh Papa, I've had enough! I want to go home! I want a warm comfy bed, and mother's cooking, and no horrid dinosaurs and no stupid irritating warriors!"

Dr Briefs chuckled and hugged his daughter.

"Come on then. I'm sure Mama will have dinner on the table by now. If we don't hurry, it will get cold."

He helped his exhausted daughter into the small, black hover car and jetted out of the Wastelands.


	11. Who Said That I Wasn't Right?

Across the bright blue sky, Vegeta moved with incredible speed toward his destination of Kami's lookout. The Saiyan was completely surrounded by an encompassing aura of ki that trailed behind him like a tail, streaking the clouds with a visible path of where he had travelled.

It wasn't long before the Prince of Saiyans dropped from the sky above the Lookout. He fell like a rock from the atmosphere, yet landed on a single knee with the astonishing grace of a well seasoned warrior. Immediately standing up from his knelt position, he strode in a determined fashion toward the entrance to Kami's establishment, bypassing the Namekian's darkened genie friend and ignoring the other visitors occupying the lookout.

Kami was there to greet him within, standing before the great door of the Pendulum Room. he nodded his head in greeting, his body hunched over with age.

"Welcome Vegeta, Pendulum Room has been prepared for you. Though, I have to warn you, what you see beyond these doors is not the whole truth of things. Keep that in mind as you continue your training inside."

And with his warning said, Kami pounded his staff against the ground and the solid doors slowly began to open. Vegeta leaned slightly to the side to see past the tall Namekian elder, yet past the opened doors was nothing but complete darkness. It was hard to believe that there was anything within the chamber for the Prince to train with but that old fool Roshi ensured him that he would definitely benefit from it.

"Yeah, yeah. Get out of the way, old man. I've got a lot of training to do."

He grabbed Kami by the shoulder and pushed him out of the way, not hard enough to knock the Ancient over but enough to move him aside. Vegeta pressed forward and stood within the gigantic doorway, now only waiting to see if Bulma would show up like he told her to.

A tiny one person Capsule ship landed on the edge of Kami's look out. It sat there rumbling happily to itself as it began to shut down. Once all was switched off and cooling down, the hatch opened and Bulma hopped out. She was once again the vision of perfection she had always been before the mishap of the Wastelands and she was looking to stay that way from now on. Pulling a small bag from the Capsule ship, she checked it a few times before fixing it securely to her shoulders and walking towards the large building, humming happily to herself.

"Kami-Sama? Hello? Is anyone here?"

Mr Popo looked out from the large doors and gave her a friendly wave and a smile.

"Hello, Miss Bulma. Kami is through here with Vegeta, come with me."

Bulma grinned and followed Mr Popo into the large, lush looking building, taking in her surroundings as she did so. She had been here many times before, but it always amazed her to be in a house bigger than her own. She had decided long ago that when she took over Capsule Corp, the house would most definitely have to be upgraded. Maybe she could ask Kami if she could speak to his architect.  
Seeing the elder Namekian, she grinned happily and gave him a little bow, despite his strange nature and cryptic ways; she rather liked the guardian of Earth, and intended to show him the respect he deserved.

"Good Morning Kami-Sama!"

Turning to see Vegeta, she scowled a little at the memory of their little adventure, but then managed a small smile.

"Hullo Vegeta. So, are you going to tell me what all this is about, or do you intend to keep me in the dark for a little while longer? You didn't give me much of a clue what exactly we were doing, so I didn't know what to bring!"

Bulma approached Kami and Vegeta from behind, to which the Saiyan warranted her with a momentary look before gazing back into the emptiness beyond the gate before him. He thought it was best not to tell Bulma about the fine details of the Pendulum Room and let her believe that everything that happened to them behind its closed doors was one hundred percent real.

He didn't want her to know that it was simply an illusion. He wanted her to be scared and believe her actual life was on the line. Vegeta wanted to test Bulma and make her aware of serious dangers. The Saiyan Prince could tell a lot about a person by observing their actions when under pressure; although he was already certain that she would have the hell scared out of her by the war within.

"You're going to war. Now, get in."

Having the feeling that for some reason Bulma would resist him, he turned to her and closed the distance between them with a few steps. Vegeta stooped down for a moment and tucked his shoulder into her abdomen, in the same moment lifting her from the ground and carrying her into the abyss of the Pendulum Room.

After they had entered, the doors slowly shut behind them and completely sealed them in darkness. A single red light appeared from what seemed like nowhere, casting a cryptic image on the ground that held no meaning to the Saiyan Prince. The only sound present within the chamber was that of a pendulum swinging back and forth, which faded into visibility in front of the two's eyes.

Vegeta dropped the young woman to the shadowy ground, yet wasn't particularly concerned if she landed on her feet or not. He knew, that in a matter of moments, they would be somewhere foreign to either of them and that there would surely be a battle for them to conquer. He was also fairly certain that he would have his ears filled with Bulma's objections and complaints too.

Bulma rolled her eyes at the brief glance the haughty Saiyan Prince gave her and continued to busy herself with admiring the interior of the building. She was about to ask Kami who is decorator was and if he knew when they'd next be available to give a quote, when Vegeta spoke.

"War? Oh, no no no! I think not Vegeta! Bulma Briefs does not go to war! Other people go to war for me! In fact, this little Princess is going straight back to her palace! So if you'll excuse me..."

She turned and bowed low to Kami, but as she straightened up again, she found Vegeta a lot closer than she wanted him to be.

"No! I said no Vegeta! Get away from me! Shoo!"

The spoilt woman took a few paces back, but resistance was futile as she was scooped up by the Saiyan Prince and carried over his shoulder into the dark room. Bulma beat her fists against his broad back and kicked her legs, screaming obscenities at the top of her lungs. Kami and Mr Popo winced as her shrill voice echoed around the building, but were soon cut off as the large doors slammed shut.

Bulma let out a surprised yelp as she was unceremoniously dumped on the ground. Gritting her teeth she winced in pain, sure that she had just jarred her tail bone. Another onslaught of insults was about to leave her lips, but the darkened room stole her voice. Staggering to her feet, she looked around with wide frightened eyes unsure of what was going to happen next. For a little while, she merely stared at the giant pendulum as it swung back and forth, then her eyes followed the eerie red light and began to study the strange markings. She had no idea what they meant, but she didn't like it one bit.

"Vegeta... where are we...?"

"Just shut up."

The Prince was looking at the swinging pendulum too, as it careened back and forth in long sweeping motions. He almost felt like he was undergoing some sort of hypnosis due to his eyes' prolonged exposure of the relic.

The sealed room once again began to darken until it was swallowed completely. Vegeta looked over his shoulder to glance at Bulma on the floor but he couldn't even see her through the shadows, despite her being only a foot or two away from him.

A thickness grew in the air. It felt like humidity was somehow forming within the desolate room, making it harder to breathe the previously stale air. Vegeta blinked a few times to adjust to the unnatural darkness but upon the last opening of his eyes, he came to see that they were no longer obscured by darkness.

All around the two were the remnants of what was once a civilization now reduced to war-torn and decimated rubble. Collapsed buildings, destroyed street signs, eroded and half gone cars littered the sides of the pot hole pocked street. The darkly clouded sky was the colour of blood and appeared rather ominous to one's who might care about that sort of thing.

Vegeta didn't. He was more concerned about the two shady looking, battle garbed men standing a bit further down the roadway. The two looked rather pleased with themselves as they destroyed what was left of a minivan, beating its exterior into something that resembled a compact car more than a family sized vehicle.

Their sinister laughter could be heard where they were standing. Vegeta came to the conclusion that these two were responsible for the destruction of the city around them. He went to reach for his scouter to scan their power levels but it seemed the Pendulum Room had swallowed it up in the transition to this mental projection.

"You said you wanted to be strong. I'm giving you a chance to show me what you're made of, Woman."

The stench of decay and stale blood assaulted her, along with a bitingly cold breeze. Shivering, Bulma cautiously opened one eye, but then quickly shut it again. They were no longer in the dark room. They were somewhere else entirely. Licking her lips nervously, she took a deep breath and slowly opened her eyes again. Trying to stay calm, she took in her surroundings, clasping her hands in front of her in an attempt to stop them from shaking. Bright blue eyes eventually fell on the men destroying the minivan.

Swallowing hard, she looked up at Vegeta. He had to be kidding, right? She couldn't fight them! Maybe if she ran away, she could find the door back to Kami's lookout, and forget all this ever happened. Instead, she found herself carefully slipping her bag from her shoulders and checking its contents once more. She took out a can of hairspray and a lighter with a nod of approval and tucked them into the pockets of her Capsule Corp jacket.

She then took another quick look around at her surroundings before moving slowly and carefully to a collapsed building to the right of her and began to tug at a bit of iron piping she had spied. Once she got it free, she was pleased to note that it was just about the right length for her and wasn't that heavy.  
Keeping her eyes on the two men, she scurried back to Vegeta, but forced herself not to stand behind him. She held the pipe in both hands in a stance she had remembered Goku using when he had his staff, and spoke softly to the Saiyan beside her.

"So... which one do you want...cause erm... I'm not bothered either way..."

"Hmph."

He didn't really care either way which one he was dealing with. They both looked like punching bags to him. His fingers stretched out and flexed before snaking into his palms, letting his knuckles pop freely while enclosing his hands into tight fists.

Apparently, the sounds of Vegeta's knuckles alerted the two destroyers, who seemed to light up with excitement at the prospect of two more bodies to add to their pile. On closer inspection, they appeared to be a pair of aliens—one red skinned, the other was blue.

"I'll show you how it's done. Try not to die, Woman."

The moment the words left his mouth, the image of Vegeta distorted and split off into several different directions before disappearing completely. Both brutes looked about in confusion at first but soon centred their attention on the human woman who remained. They began to resume stalking down Bulma when the left one was suddenly sent blasting into a half standing wall of debris.

Vegeta had reappeared and rocketed the blue skinned foe into the pile of destruction with a single blow, which he approved of with a satisfied grin. Not a second had passed and he was already pursuing the fallen alien into the cloud of smoke that had risen.

Under the veil of swarming dust and dirt, the Prince of All Saiyans made short work of the underpowered fighter. With only a few solid punches, he had penetrated his strange armour and broken countless ribs. To provide the monster with a quick finish, Vegeta wrapped his palm to his opponent's face and began to gather a large amount of energy.

The alien attempted to shake his head free while a blinding light soon filled his vision, emanating from the hand securely gripping his face. Vegeta released the pent up energy and the produced beam ripped right through his victim's flesh, skull, and everything in between. Its shrill death cry echoed loudly in across the destroyed buildings and empty streets, alerting its red skinned ally that he was no more.

Bulma watched in wide eyed fear as Vegeta left her side and went to fight the blue skinned alien, leaving her staring into the laughing face of the red skinned man. The human woman gripped the iron pole so hard her knuckles turned white, and her body was shaking so badly her teeth were chattering. The red skinned alien smirked as he continued his predatory approach, chuckling low under his breath as the blue haired woman before him took a few steps backwards in fear. Briefly looking over to where Vegeta was busy pummelling his comrade, the red skinned warrior sneered, and reached out his hand to grab hold of Bulma by the hair.

"Looks like he's left you all alone... but don't worry... I'll take good care of y..."

His taunting speech was abruptly cut off as Bulma swiftly swung the iron pole into his face. It made the man's head move back abruptly, and Bulma smirked in triumph.

"I don't need to be taken care of thank you very much..."

Her victory was short lived however; as the brute's large meaty fist struck her hard in the stomach, sending her flying backwards into an old crumbled wall. Bulma lay on the dirty, dusty ground gasping for breath as the air had been knocked out of her. She got on her hands and knees and scrabbled for the iron pole she had dropped, but she was abruptly kicked back into the wall.

"Fucking bitch! That could have bruised me!"

Bulma began to crawl away whimpering softly, her head was swimming with the pain, but she managed to get the hairspray and lighter from her pocket. She was about to turn around, when the man's foot pressed into her back.

"And where do you think you're going?"

Grabbing the fragile woman by the hair, he dragged her to her feet and pressed her up against a collapsed building. The red skinned alien didn't get much further than that, as a wave of flame engulfed his chest. He howled in pain and quickly dropped the blue haired woman, who scrambled quickly away and grabbed the pole again.

"Damn... I was aiming for his face."

In a furious rage, the alien rushed her, and she only managed to get one or two good hits in, before the pole was wrenched from her hands and she was hoisted into the air by her throat. Bulma cried out as her body was repeatedly smashed into a wall, whilst the air was choked from her lungs. This was it, it was all over.

_I'm....going to....die...._

"Ve...geta....help...!"

As if out of thin air, a golden toed boot came flying into the side of the red skinned alien's head. The event seemed to play in slow motion beginning with the connection of the kick and how the alien's head snapped to the side due to the sheer force of the blow, managing to knock loose the hold it had on Bulma's throat.

The next moment, the alien was flopping to the ground and holding its skull, suffering from dizzying pain and confusion, and scrambling to his feet. Standing in his place was Vegeta, who quickly grabbed the opponent once he was back standing and delivered a powerful knee into his gut. The alien lurched over the Prince's leg before he was hoisted from the ground.

Vegeta had reached down to grab a hold upon one of the alien's ankles before knocking him onto his back again. It was from there that he began to revolve about on his heels, swinging the alien around while he gained sufficient momentum before throwing him high into the air.

While the being was airborne, the Saiyan royal thought it would be best to end this charade now before Bulma had a heart attack. He wasn't sure whether or not she'd be able to decipher the difference between this false reality and their true one.

A startled gasp escaped Bulma's throat as her alien tormenter was brutally assaulted by the swift movements of Vegeta. The world was a dizzy haze, but she realized suddenly that she was free. The crushing grip on her throat had gone. Somehow, the human woman managed to stagger to her feet with the aid of the wall behind her and watched wide eyed as the Saiyan Prince made short work of the creature that had given her so much trouble. Rubbing her throat she tried to breathe steadily and calmly before she passed out in an embarrassing heap on the floor.

Pistoning hands pumped back and forth as they shot a rapid volley of energy blasts at the descending alien. Vegeta's accuracy was dead on and soon his victim was engulfed in the fire fight, creating a mess of explosions and clouds of black smoke—no doubt the leftovers of burning flesh and bone.

Once he stopped firing, nothing was seen dropping from the hanging cloud. The alien had been completely disintegrated.

Again, everything around the Saiyan and woman was swallowed by heavy shadows, drowning out the chaotic scene around them before clearing and revealing the open doors of the Pendulum Room.

"Daddy wasn't there for you that time,"

The Prince grinned down at Bulma and chuckled as he thought back to the Wastelands. He had hovered just below the clouds to watch over Bulma and make sure she was alright, when he had seen her father approach.

Laughing to himself and rubbing his gloved hands together as if dusting off imaginary dirt, he exited the Pendulum Room and approached Kami. They exchanged a few quiet words and then without warning, Vegeta leapt into the air and blasted off from the Lookout. It seems he had some business to take care of.

Bulma let out a strangled cry as everything around them became dark once more. She bit her lip so hard she cut into the delicate skin and a thin trickle of blood ran down her chin. Not again. She didn't want to be sent somewhere else where horrible aliens would attack her. Her father was right, she wasn't a warrior, she was an inventor, what the hell was she doing? She closed her eyes tightly and tried to wish it all away. Praying that the next place they were going was her house, and the only battle she'd had to fight would be wrestling the lion's share of her mother's cooking from Goku.

Upon hearing Vegeta's mocking words, Bulma's eyes flew open and glared up at the arrogant Saiyan. Looking around she realised they were back in the Pendulum Room, and the doors were wide open. Bulma looked down at herself and realised she was fine, she was not hurt. Puzzled, she looked down at her hands and checked her neck. Nothing. She was absolutely fine.

And then it dawned on her. It had all been an illusion, the entire thing. She flushed bright crimson as she remembered pathetically asking Vegeta for help. Gritting her teeth, she glared at the Saiyan as he left the room. Right now she hated him.  
Bulma stalked out of the room and walked right past Kami and Mt Popo, far too angry to trust herself to speak to anyone right now. In furious silence, she got into the small Capsule ship and set off home. Her desire to become stronger was raging inside her once more.


	12. How You Turned My World, Precious Thing

The Saiyan Prince lay with his strong muscled arms arched and his gloved fingers clasped cradling his head. His chest bare chest covered in a sheen of sweat rose and fell steadily as he stared up at the stars from his relaxed position on the roof of Capsule Corp. A slow, lazy smirk graced his full, cruel lips as he thought back to yesterday's events. His time with Bulma in the Pendulum Room had been quite entertaining. The weakling girl looked like she was going to drop down dead with fright! A low chuckle escaped his lips as he fidgeted on the cold roof, his heated body cooling from the almost volcanic temperature it had been previously.

Despite her pathetic attempt at combat, Vegeta had to admire the way she furiously attacked the red skinned brute. It seemed she had some feral instinct in her after all. Beneath that pampered exterior was the wild just waiting to be unleashed? He closed his eyes and let out a ragged sigh, his body languidly rolling over onto its stomach and one arm hung lazily off the edge. Still he didn't understand why he remained on this mud ball of a planet. He should have taken a ship and released himself into the freedom of space long ago. Here there were far too many distractions, far too many annoyances. He would never become the Legendary Warrior that his people had prophesised he would be if he stayed on this insufferable planet. So why did he stay?

A low rumbling growl escaped his lips, making the expanse of this broad muscled chest vibrate with the sound. Midnight eyes opened into slits as he stared at nothing in particular, not even seeing whatever his gaze fell upon. Here he felt like a trapped animal, a ravening wolf on a tight leash, unable to do anything other than train constantly in the suffocating embrace of the GR. Not even a sniff of a challenge had come his way since his stay here, all he could do was sit back on his haunches until the tin cans got here. And then what?

A cruel, nasty little smirk graced his exotically beautiful face and his piercing onyx eyes narrowed further. He would be a Super Saiyan, and he would tear the tin cans apart, destroying them completely not even leaving scraps for their redundant creator to find. And then what?

Kakarrot.

He would finally defeat Kakarrot. That third class clown would finally meet his humiliating demise at his hands. His pride and honour would stand for no less than that. His predatory smirk widened further as the image of Kakarrot's blood on his hands, and the idiot's face crumpled in pain as he breathed his last gasping breaths filled his mind's eye. With that third class clown gone, he could finally take his rightful place as ruler of the universe. The place that Frieza robbed his father of so many years ago. Father...

_Father... My King... so far I have failed you. I have brought shame to the House of Vegeta and I have brought shame to you. No more... no more will I hide in the shadows of this little backwater planet. A Saiyan shall rule the universe once more..._

There was a rumble of thunder and suddenly the heavens opened. The Saiyan Prince sat up and allowed his head to fall back and feel the cooling waters on his face. He felt almost as if his murderous thoughts were being washed away, soothed under the cleansing rain which reminded him of the cool softness of bright blue eyes...

His entire body stiffened as an unwelcome scent reached his sensitive nose. Lying back down on his stomach, he narrowed his eyes and glared through the thick sheets of rain as the red haired warrior from the Wastelands strolled casually up the path of the Briefs home. His lip rose in a feral snarl, and his fingertips gripped the edge of the roof so savagely the metal groaned and bent to his mighty strength. What was that weakling, cowardly scum doing here?

....................................

Bulma was sunk up to her chin in frothy bubbles and lavender scented hot water. Her huge round bath had been filled almost to the brim and had practically half a bottle of very expensive bubble bath poured into it. The little radio perched on the windowsill was playing love songs and she began to wish she hadn't chosen to listen to this particular station. When she had come back from her humiliating experience with Vegeta yesterday, she had witnessed something she had suspected for quite a while. Yamcha was with another woman. It wasn't as if she had caught them in a passionate embrace or rutting like wild animals, but it still hurt as if she had.

He had his arm around her and was looking down at her with a look of utter tenderness and adoration, that same look that he had used to give her. It had been the young woman who had noticed her standing there first. She had looked confused, but then smiled and asked her if they could help her with anything. The look on Yamcha's face was one of sorrow, and Bulma didn't know what he was more upset about. The fact that he had been caught, or the fact that it was now officially over.

He had dutifully followed the blue haired princess back to Capsule Corp to talk things through, even though all Bulma had wanted to do was to run from the scene and through herself on her bed and cry. But truthfully, if she looked deep inside herself and was honest, she knew that they had been over long ago. She had even, although subconsciously, had stopped thinking about the ex-bandit as her boyfriend.

She had sat in numb silence as Yamcha explained to her that she didn't make him feel useful, that he felt like she didn't need him. Around her, he just didn't feel like a man anymore. She was so wrapped up in the idea of protecting herself, and her own damn stubborn pride that he felt there was no longer any space for him in her world. Bulma didn't need him anymore. And then there was Vegeta.

Bulma's eyebrows rose dramatically when Yamcha mentioned the arrogant Saiyan's name. He said that he felt that she might have feelings for the volatile Prince, and even though she might not have seen it, he had noticed the furtive little looks that Vegeta had been giving her. Whether is was just curiosity, lust or something more, Yamcha didn't know. But he did not want to be left sitting on the bench waiting for either the Prince to make his move, or for Bulma to finally finish with Yamcha as an afterthought.

They had agreed to stay friends, but Bulma had asked him to stay away for a little while. She was still suffering from the aftershocks of this little revelation and wanted time to adjust to it and work around having her life without Yamcha in it. Despite what he thought, Yamcha _had_ been useful and she had needed him. He had been the only normal, steady sure thing in her life. For ten years they had been together, she was sure he had been the one she was meant to spend the rest of her life with. Ok, so he wasn't the most exciting of boyfriends, but he had thought he was the one constant thing in her life. She had depended on the fact that Yamcha would always be there. And now he wasn't.

She raised her head out of the relaxing water for a moment as she heard the doorbell ring, moments later she heard her mother's cooing voice as she let whoever was at the door in. Bulma sighed and sank back down into the bubbles. The last thing she wanted right now were visitors, she just hoped that it was a friend of her Father's and they'd probably go into the lab and not be seen for many hours.

Her tranquil rest was disturbed by an insistent knocking on the bathroom door and her mother's voice high pitched with excitement.

"Bulma, dear! One of your lovely gentlemen friends is here to see you! Oh you are lucky, sweetheart! He's such a beautiful one!"

Bulma rolled her eyes and groaned at her mother's shameless behaviour. But a small smile tugged at her lips and she shook her head with a sigh. Despite how embarrassing her mother could be, she knew she wouldn't have her any other way. Dragging herself reluctantly from her hot bath, she reached for one of the large fluffy white towels hung on the heated rack and briskly began to dry herself.

"Alright, Mama... I'll be right there, give me a few minutes!"

Her mother's girlish giggles could be heard all the way down the corridor and faded as she went down the stairs. It was at that point that Bulma stopped in her frantic drying to think who it could be. It wasn't Yamcha, as her mother would have told her it was Yamcha, also she didn't think that the ex-bandit would have the balls to come over here a mere night after he had been told to stay away. It wasn't Vegeta as he was training in the GR, and Mama always called him "Your Prince" much to her annoyance.

Bulma congratulated herself once she had managed to get dressed and make herself look presentable in just under twenty minutes, a new record for the Capsule Corp Princess. Her aquamarine hair was up in an understated ponytail with a few soft tendrils falling enticingly around her pretty face. She had applied minimal makeup to draw attention to her bright blue eyes and ruby lips and she thought that the floaty pale blue summer dress looked perfect against her snowy white skin.

Perhaps an evening with an attractive young man was just what she needed, something to take the edge off after the shock of breaking up with Yamcha. A soft little voice in the back of her mind whispered that she secretly wished it was Vegeta waiting downstairs for her but she shook her head and hurriedly chased that thought back into the shadows.

She was about to spray on some of her most favourite and most expensive perfume when there was a light tap on her bedroom door. Rolling her eyes she refrained from slamming the little crystal bottle down and checked her hair once more in the mirror.

"I'm coming Mama... give me chance....!"

She wrenched open the door with a sour scowl, but then took a step back, her mouth dropping open and her bright blue eyes wide in shock.

"Serigon..."

The tall red haired warrior was soaked to the skin; his long crimson hair was drenched and hung heavily around his handsome face. Bulma could not stop her bright blue eyes from trailing down his tall muscular body. His rain soaked clothes clung to his body like a second skin and she swallowed hard, flicking her eyes quickly back up to his smiling face.

"Good evening, Miss Bulma. I am sorry for coming up to your room, but your Mother said that she and your father had to go out so she sent me straight up."

Bulma gritted her teeth; she could almost see her Mother's knowing wink and smile as she sent this red haired beauty up to her room. She crossed her arms and looked up at Serigon haughtily with her head cocked to one side.

"And what do you think you are doing here? I thought that Vegeta had frightened you off..."

Serigon lowered his head shyly so that the blue haired beauty before him would not see his look of utter fury at the mention of the Saiyan's name. Things had to go right this time, he sneaked a look at the watch on his wrist, it was almost time. They'd be here any minute now.

"I am sorry, Miss Bulma. It was very rude of me to turn up unannounced, but I didn't have any means of contacting you. I want to apologise for my behaviour in the Wastelands. I must admit..."

He licked his lips and ran his fingers through his hair, the rain droplets quivering on the long crimson strands and glittering like diamonds in the light. It was time for the best performance of his life.

"I was... a little jealous of Vegeta... You are a very beautiful woman, Miss Bulma... and, well... I noticed you... a lot."

He laid on the shy country boy act thick and allowed a slight stammer to enter his soft voice. Glittering emerald eyes gazed into bright blue ones as he took a hesitant step forward. Long almost delicate looking fingers curled around one of the loose tendrils of aquamarine hair and almost gasped at how soft it was. It was like silk running through his finger tips.

Bulma's breath caught in her throat as she looked up into those eyes. What was it she had thought to herself in the bathroom? That an evening with an attractive young man might be what she needed? Well, here was a very beautiful young man, he was extremely foolish, and if Vegeta were to find out he was here then there would be fireworks. But... she felt very alone, perhaps it wasn't the worst idea she had ever had.

.......................

He watched as the red haired warrior entered the house, his Ki flaring in fury. What was that _scum_ doing entering his domain? He wanted to fly down there, tear the door from its hinges and drag him out by his womanly hair. He wanted to thrust his fist into the fool's ribcage and tear out his still beating heart, and he wanted to devour the pulsing muscle right in front of the bastards dying eyes.

Vegeta's eyes narrowed as a few minutes later Dr and Mrs Briefs left the house, Bunni giggling girlishly at something her husband had said as they climbed into a sporty black hover car and drove away. The Saiyan's midnight eyes narrowed and slid over to look towards Bulma's bedroom window. The light was on, and he could see her silhouette cast over the closed curtains as she moved around inside. The woman was alone in the house that idiot and he knew that the red haired fool wanted her. He could see it in the way he acted around her, not only that but he could smell his want in the air when he was around her. The Saiyan growled low in the back of his throat, and was about to fly down to tear the offending male from his territory, when four men walked up the path and silently entered the house.

Vegeta frowned and raised his body up into a crouch, there was more going on here than he had first assumed. He dropped down off the roof as silent as a shadow and stalked towards the house. His narrowed eyes gleamed eerily in the darkness and there was a flash of sharp teeth as he grinned evilly. This was going to be fun.

............................

His lips were full and warm against hers, and his arms cradled her oh so gently as they wrapped around her waist. It had been a while since she had been kissed like this, so slow and sensual like she was the most beautiful, cherished woman in the universe. Which of course she was. But there was something missing, something wasn't right about this kiss. As she was slowly walked backwards and lowered gently onto her bed, she could not help but wish she was with someone else.

The earth shattering shriek made them both jump apart in shock. Bulma pushed at Serigon's chest in an attempt to struggle out from underneath him, but before she could, he grabbed her roughly by the shoulders and dragged her off the bed.

"Serigon, what..."

She let out a little yelp of pain as he was dragged into his arms by her hair and one large hand clamped over her mouth.

"Shut up..."

Her bright blue eyes widened in fear as the sweet shy boy disappeared and left a frightening stranger behind. Bulma struggled against him, but he tightened his grip on her, and she was sure she'd be bruised in the morning. Serigon dragged her from her bedroom and downstairs. The screaming had stopped. The smell hit her with the force of a freight train when they entered the living room. The dismembered bodies of strange men littered her once soft snowy white carpet. The now crimson floor squished under their feet as they made their way cautiously across the living room. Serigon's bright emerald eyes scanned the dark room looking for the one who had done this to his companions, but he heard him before he saw him.

A low guttural growl came from a shadowy corner of the room and a demon stalked out from the darkness. Bulma screamed into Sergon's hand at the sight of the Saiyan Prince. He was wearing nothing but his black training shorts, and he was covered from the tip of his gravity defying hair down to his toes in blood. The whites of his narrowed eyes glowed eerily out from the crimson mask that painted his exotically beautiful face. He raised his arm, and it was only then that they noticed it was elbow deep in a man's chest. With a disgusted little sneer, he launched the body into the wall behind Serigon and Bulma, making the terrified pair jump.

"What are you and your little _friends_ doing here, Serigon?"

His voice was a soft purr, and full of the promise of pain, but it sounded loud in the muted silence of the darkened room. He slowly began his predatory approach upon the pair, his demonic gaze burning into the red haired warrior.

Serigon licked his lips nervously and took a step back, dragging Bulma with him then lifting her slightly so that she covered most of his body.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I just came here to see Bulma, these men have nothing to do with me."

A low dark chuckling tickled from Vegeta's lips, but his eyes were cold and filled with hatred. He could not believe that the _coward_ was hiding behind the woman, using her body as a shield. His fists clenched so hard that his finger nails cut into his palms, drops of blood joining the ocean of crimson soaked into the carpet. The scent of their fear was washing over him, making him feel dizzy with power, but her fear... and the look in those big blue eyes stoked his anger. He could not explain it, and he couldn't understand it, but he felt like the red haired coward was putting his dirty paws on something that was his.

"Don't bother lying to me, _dog_. Your friend there..."

He gestured to the torn apart body which he had flung against the wall.

"Told me everything... told me all about your big plans to kidnap Bulma and steal the data for her father's experiments."

Serigon paled visibly and gritted his teeth, unsure of what to do next. He took several more steps backwards, bile rising in his throat from the stench of the torn apart corpses that littered the room. Vegeta cocked his head to one side and gave the red haired warrior a sadistic, lopsided grin.

"What he didn't tell me, however... was who you are working for. I am not stupid enough to believe that you are the mastermind behind this little charade. What would a little desert punk like you want with Dr Briefs' data? You probably don't even understand it!"

He sneered at the obviously terrified desert bandit and took another predatory step closer. He would enjoy this. He would make it last as long as possible. Regardless of what Bulma said or did now, she would not be able to save Serigon's life. The red haired man had used up all his chances, and it was time to pay at the hands of the Prince of All Saiyans! His narrowed eyes once again fell upon Bulma, momentarily losing himself in those big blue eyes.

There was a monster reflected in them. A demon soaked in blood. A snarling beast with nothing but hatred and murderous intent in its cold onyx eyes. For a moment he paused in his predatory approach as he thought about how Bulma saw him. For a long time now, he had not shown his true nature to anyone on Earth. Not to save their delicate sensibilities, but because nothing had truly flamed his true Saiyan rage until now. The beast always lurked behind his eyes, but now it was out, and it was hungry.

Bulma felt sick to her stomach as she watched Vegeta approach. She had always known that the Saiyan was a vicious, cold blooded killer, but to have it shoved in her face in full Technicolor was too much. Maybe she had been kidding herself this entire time, and she never truly realised what it was she was inviting into her house, her home. The place where you're supposed to be safe. And now she was stood in cooling blood, surrounded by what used to be men but was now just bloody meat. She could feel her legs trembling and her knees turn to jelly. The only thing keeping her standing was Serigon's death-like grip on her slim body. How could she have been so wrong about him? She had thought him nothing but a foolish country bumpkin whose mouth got him into far too much trouble than he was really worth. And now she was gripped in his arms facing an angry Saiyan praying that she didn't get caught in the cross-fire.

The only light in the room was from the full moon glimmering in through a crack in the curtains. The pale light shone at Vegeta's back, casting his face in shadows, yet his eyes still pierced their very souls and kept them pinned to the spot. He raised one bloody hand and pointed at Serigon.

"No... You are not the one behind this, but your friend told me you knew who was. You're going to tell me, aren't you Serigon? If you tell me, I can't promise that your death will be swift, but I shall _try _not to humiliate you in front of the woman..."

His dark laughter echoed around the room, and Serigon's grip tightened around Bulma's body. Vegeta was only a few feet away now, and the red haired warrior knew he had to think fast. Running again, for the second time in his life, he flung Bulma at the Demon Prince and turned swiftly to flee.

Bulma never hit the floor, as she found herself suddenly in the arms of the Saiyan Prince. The blood that smothered his bare flesh soaked into her clothes and smeared across her cheek as she struggled against his nightmarish embrace. With a low growl, Vegeta dumped the Capsule Corp Princess onto the blood soaked carpet and his movements were a blur as he shot after the red haired warrior.

It was that long, beautiful hair that would be Serigon's downfall as the feral Saiyan snatched hold of the crimson tresses in his battle calloused hands and wrenched him backwards. The red haired bandit gritted his teeth in pain, refusing to cry out and twisted himself around to bring his fist into the Saiyan Prince's face, but to Vegeta Serigon looked like he was moving in slow motion. He deftly caught the other man's fist in his hand and with little effort, slowly squeezed.

Serigon cried out then. He screamed and dropped to his knees as every bone in his hand was not just broken, but crumbled. The tender muscles and tendons were pulverised into a thick gummy liquid, and all that was left was a skin sack filled with mush. Vegeta stalked slowly around his prey as the wailing man knelt on the blood soaked carpet cradling his destroyed hand. The Saiyan sneered in disgust and resisted the urge to spit on the wretched creature. To show such weakness in such a disgusting manner was revolting to him.

"Tell me who you're working for, Serigon... tell me and I shall put you out of your misery and take your pathetic life from you. Don't tell me, and you're going to find out why you don't cross a Saiyan..."

Serigon whimpered softly, but raised defiant emerald eyes to look at the War God who towered above him. He was going to die, there was no doubt about that, but he couldn't tell. He couldn't.

"I fear him more than I will ever fear you! There is nothing you can do to me that will tell you his name!"

Of course that was a lie. He was very much afraid of Vegeta, far more than he was of the man who had unwittingly put him in this position. But what kind of man would he be if he ratted out his own father? His next thoughts were cut off however, as Vegeta's foot came down hard on is right knee, crushing it in the same manner as he had his hand. The red head let out a howl of pain and his eyes rolled into the back of his head.

Vegeta grunted and smirked, from the looks of things it wouldn't be long before the weakling passed out, pathetic... he reached down and grasped the whimpering man around his throat and slammed his body so hard against the wall little spidery cracks skittered around the man's struggling body. Serigon scratched and clawed at Vegeta's wrist with his remaining good hand and tried to kick out at him with his good leg. The Saiyan calmly gripped the flailing hand and deftly snapped the wrist, relishing the shrieks of pain that were dragged from the red heads throat.

It had been a long time since he had felt like this. Allowed the blood lust to ride him and take him over, and it felt so good. The beast within him roared and clawed at his insides, demanding the death of the weakling in front of them. To ignore the pitiful sobs of the woman on the floor behind them and wallow in the glory of the hunt and the kill.

"Tell me, Serigon... tell me and it all ends..."

His voice was a low guttural growl and Bulma could not help but tremble at the sound. She had landed half on top of one of the dismembered corpses and she was sure she was going to throw up. She didn't know what to do, she knew she should once again try to save the life of the foolish bandit, despite the fact he had been stealing from her father. It should be the police dealing with him, not Vegeta. No one deserved this... not this.

A dry sob escaped her lips as she crawled shakily backwards away from the Saiyan Prince and his prey. She raised not one hand to try to help Serigon, never once raised her voice in protest, and she knew that his screams would haunt her as she lay down to sleep at night. She let out a little yelp of surprise as her back hit the wall. There was nowhere to go, as Vegeta stood between her and the exit. All she could do was draw her knees up to her chin and stare in fear.

Vegeta grabbed Serigon's other knee and slowly began to crush it, the red head let out a sobbing yell and lowered his head in defeat.

"Prof...Professor Gunn... I work for Professor Gunn..."

A slow evil smirk etched across Vegeta's face and a nasty little chuckle escaped his lips.

"Good boy..."

His hand burst through Serigon's chest and tore out his still beating heart, then just as he'd promised himself, he grinned down at the convulsing body and strong white teeth tore into the pulsing muscle.

Once he had devoured the entire heart, he slowly turned to look at Bulma who was cowering at the other side of the room. The blue haired beauty cried out as he was suddenly in front of her and holding her up by her shoulders, pressing her up against the wall. With a feral snarl, he pushed his face into her neck and hair, smearing her with the blood on his face. Ignoring her shaking body and soft whimpering, he sniffed her neck, hair and face. His blood smeared face glowered down at her and he bared blood stained teeth.

"I can smell him all over you... did he force you?"

Tears brimmed up in her bright blue eyes and spilled over her cheeks and she quickly shook her head.

"No... I was foolish... he didn't need to force me, but we only kissed! Nothing else happened!"

Bulma only briefly stopped to wonder why it was any of Vegeta's business who she spent time with, but that thought seemed rather trivial now that the man she had been kissing only minutes ago was now dead on her living room floor.

"Why... Vegeta...? Why did you do this?"

His grip on her shoulders tightened making her cry out and her legs give way beneath her. He was so close to her now that their noses were almost touching. She sobbed in fear as he bared his teeth and growled low in the back of his throat. A monster. He was a monster, and yet she was still uncontrollably drawn to him.

Vegeta closed his eyes and took her scent in deeply, shuddering at the thick, intoxicating smell of her fear. She was so very afraid of him, he could almost taste it. The thrill of the bloodlust was still thrumming through his body, and the beautiful woman trembling so deliciously in his arms appealed to his more carnal desires.

"Vegeta... please.... let me go..."

The Saiyan Prince narrowed his midnight eyes, but loosened his grip and took a step back.

"Woman... call the service bots to clean this place up, then go and bathe yourself. I'll deal with the bodies. Then I'll sort out this Professor Gunn."

He turned and began to walk away from her. Her legs still unable to support her, Bulma fell to her knees and let out a strangled sob.

"No! Vegeta, please! No more killing!"

His body tensed and he turned his head slightly, looking at her over his shoulder.

"No one tells me what to do, especially not you..."


End file.
